Dreams of the Morrow
by Interstella
Summary: A third class SOLDIER is found on the battlefield in Wutai, but there's something different about her, what's in her past? Why does she fear Sephiroth? How does she know Cloud? Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the goddess. -HIATUS
1. The War of the Beasts

This story is in the process of both being updated and re-hasshed. The main plot hasn't changed, I'm just making it flow better and changing the odd thing here and there.

-_- -_- -_- Dreams of the Morrow -_- -_- -_-

-_- -_- -_- Prologue – The War of the Beasts -_- -_- -_-

_When the war of the beasts brings about the worlds end, the goddess descends from the sky._

Red splattered everywhere, coating the earth in it's gelatinous gore. Nothing escaped the defilement, not the trees, the decaying ground, nor the magnitude of newly rotting corpses that littered the area. The scent of the substance hung thick and heavy in the air, clinging to all that were unfortunate enough to be in close enough, staining clothes and souls, tainting them with the death that had been so swiftly dealt. The scent of decay was strong, blocking out all traces of the natural scene it had been before. There was not a spot of ground that had been left innocent of the battle; each and every inch of grass, dirt and stone had some sort of vandalism, be it blood, bodies or fallen weaponry, and the sheer mass of destruction left all in its wake dead to the world.

All except for one person. Her body lay on the ground, barely making any movements in effort to blend in with those that had fallen around her. She was playing dead, her dark uniform splattered with blood that was not her own and coated in a fine layer of dust from the sodden ground below. The once silver shoulder pads were stained a multitude of colours, red and brown being the more prominent, but there were some green and orange too, from the odd plant that had managed to find its way into the battle. Dark hair covered her eyes, allowing the odd movement here and there to go undetected by those who may perchance look at her, the lids closed to prevent the mako glow of her green eyes to give away her position.

This was Emerald. SOLDIER third class, on her first and final mission. Infiltrate Wutai.

The sun was rising, casting reds and pinks into the sky, throwing a serene glow over the ruin that had been cast upon the outpost, making it seem almost surreal. The reality of what had happened that night wouldn't settle into anyone's mind – there was nobody left to do so, and the eerie silence caused it to be almost peaceful.

Slowly, the young woman opened her eyes - only a little at first, moving those glowing orbs around and extending her senses - just to be sure that she was truly the last survivor, and that there were no spies to tell of her deceit. Once she was sure she was clear, the eyes were opened fully and their owner brought herself up to a sitting position, once again looking around to be sure she was alone.

The ground upon which she had been laying began to quietly fizzle and pop as the newly uncovered dirt strived to soak up what little blood-less moisture there was left in the morning's dew. Only her keen senses could hear the faint gasps of life from this otherwise decollate wasteland. More dirt was uncovered as she slowly got to her feet, careful to make no more noise than necessary, as to not alert any sentries that may have been nearby.

Those almost-unique eyes scanned the area, seeking out the sword which she had unwittingly dropped during her night time encounter, and finding nothing but the destruction which she had wrought, the blooded remains of those that were once proud Wutai soldiers, most of the bodies having been cut so badly that they would remain unidentified, even should they be discovered, the blood soaked ground which would only recover given time, and trees bent out of shape, even they did not escape the fiery blades of war.

A gleam of silver caught her eyes, causing her to shift instantly in that direction, ready for a fight should there be need, but it was just the glint of metal reflecting the early morning sunlight. Posture relaxing only slightly, the woman continued her increasingly tedious search, rifling through the mess she herself had been a part of making, looking for her beloved blade.

The sound of a soft wind reached her ears only seconds before her hair was blown around, carrying the scent of the decaying battlefield. Her nose flinched slightly as her heightened sense of smell caused her reflexes to kick in, her stomach churning until she felt the intense need to gag, to remove whatever was left from her normally strong stomach. But she managed to put the urge at bay, to keep herself from reacting in any other way than a slight flinch.

Her eyes widened very slightly as she finally found her blade, imbedded in one of the broken trees, its five foot length standing horizontally from the bark. A soft sigh escaped the young woman as she stepped forward, her lithe form stepping easily between bodies, lightly trampling on the dirt, leaving no more than a slight dent as she swiftly made her way to her blade. Her hands clasped around the hilt firmly, giving a single tug to remove the inch of the blade that was wedged within the tropical tree.

A small smirk formed on her face as she flicked off the droplets of blood that were still there, noting that she was going to have to clean the masamune before the blade was ruined with the coppery substance. In her left hand, the massive sword hung almost limp, hovering only inches above the ground as she held it loosely, her thin form easily hiding the strength within her.

"Ahh." She turned her head quickly as she sensed someone nearing her position, her enhanced senses telling her that it was just two people. She looked around, trying to spy a place to hide, to remove her from this picture, in order to remain unfound. Bending her legs slightly, she jumped – up, landing quietly on the branch above her, looking down from the remains of the tree she was in. This cover wasn't the best, if the stranger was to simply look up, she would be found, and would have to deal with it.

She would rather that not happen, enough blood had been shed that night.

But she needn't have worried. The man that was approaching was wearing a similar uniform to her own, blue rather than her deep purple, complete with sword on his back. This man was a second class SOLDIER, the same military as her, her boss even.

"Geeze! Someone really went to town here!" The newcomer announced, bending down beside one of the fallen SOLDEIRs, checking his pulse and sighing sadly when he found none. "I bet nobody's left…" His voice was quiet, but Emerald found it easy to hear as she watched him, wondering why her superior hadn't noticed her presence yet. Surely he should be better at this sort of thing than her?

The young man below her continued to check on people, SOLDIER and Wutaii alike, looking for someone, anyone who would still be alive. "Damn." He cussed as he stood finally, reaching into his military issue slacks and producing a company cell phone. "I found something." He told whoever he had called, completing his duty as a SOLDEIR to call the scene before him in, so that the SOLDIERs could be returned to Midgar and receive the burial they deserved.

Once the official conversation had ended, he closed the phone, pausing for a second before turning around. This seemed to go in slow motion for Emerald, him turning slowly, almost as if waiting to find her, and she knew he would. Her kneeling on the barren branch wasn't exactly a perfect hiding spot, even with her crouched as small as she could get, her blade held directly in front of her. If this second class was to see her, there would be a great many questions she'd rather not answer… but not if it seemed she was a new comer herself…

Jumping down from the tree seemed to be her only option, the only way she could get away from being found out, and so, she did it, landing silently on the ground and placing a shocked expression on her face. "S-sir…" She managed to stutter a little as she wide-eyedly looked around, silently dropping the blade on the ground to hide the fact that she was able to wield the massive samurai sword.

The male turned around and saw her, offering a small, reassuring smile as he stepped forward, slowly and clumsily avoiding the bodies on the floor. "SOLDIER," He said quietly, not looking back behind him as he shook his head. "C'mon, there's nothing else we can do here."

Making sure to nod shakily, Emerald looked around at the carnage that she'd only just herself created, as if in awe and fear, pretending to try and imagine what kind of a person would've been able to do this. "W-what happened here?" She asked, proud of herself for causing her body to shake, completing the image she was giving out.

The second shook his head sadly, glancing at the still weeping ground. "I don't know." His tone spoke of defeat, perhaps this was the first time that he'd seen such destruction. Finally, he looked up, staring directly at Emerald.

"What's your name?" He asked, gesturing for her to move with him as he headed back towards the camp. She found herself falling into step with the man.

"SOLDIER, third class, Emerald." She introduced herself dutifully, thankful that the rules of SOLDIER allowed for hiding of the family name if it was desirable. The last thing she needed was for him to find out her heritage. Silver green eyes glanced at the male beside her before she looked forward again, trying hard to remember the basic training she'd had in SOLDIER conduct.

"I'm Zack." The male said, offering her his hand, which more than confused the third. This man outranked her, yet he was treating her like…. Like she was really there, a person rather than something which he could order to do his bidding. Her eyes narrowed slightly on that hand that had been offered, studying the tight leather glove before reaching out to take the hand in her own and give it a slight shake. Retracting her hand quickly, she brushed it against her leg, not in hopes of offense, but rather to care for her own obsessive compulsive personality.

"You've not been in Wutai long, have you?" Zack asked her. Emerald had to hold back a smirk, if only he knew.

"No sir." She answered, once again shaking her head. "I was assigned here with the latest battalion…" She looked behind her. "I got separated from the group and…" The men that had died on that battlefield had been her battalion, the men she was supposed to fight with, who were supposed to protect her and her them. Some protector she turned out to be.

"Oh…" the sad word spoke understanding, as if Zack had been through that himself, but she knew better, having read his file many, many times, she was quite aware of what had happened in his short life. "Well… you'll just have to stick by me then." He offered, "I'll make sure you get out of this alive." Even to her ears, that sounded like a promise. A small smile graced her lips as she remembered what she'd been told about this man, about what he'd done, about how he'd…

Well… she was here to prevent that.

"Thank you sir." She said quietly, looking down at the ground as she continued to follow this male. The battle scene behind her was quickly fading as they walked steadily away, the scent dissipating, removing all but the memory of its happening. "Sir… why are we fighting?" She knew too well how the Wutai-Shin-Ra war had begun, but to her, "It just…seems kind of a waste…" She told him, frowning slightly and looking down at her hands, trying so very hard to fit in with what she'd been instructed.

_Follow their orders. Respect and revere them, just like you used to do with me._

Cloud's words stuck in her head, and she bit her lip, trying to act both respectful and full of awe at the same time, it wasn't a hard fact, considering this was Zack Fair… After everything that he'd done for Cloud… But, Emerald could tell, Zack hadn't met Cloud yet, he was still second class, so things hadn't progressed that far… right?

Zack was quiet for a short while before he shook his head, looking up at the slowly brightening sky. "I don't know. It's not our place to ask." He then turned his blue eyes to Emerald and she felt her breath hitch. He had such beautiful eyes.

Cloud had been right, Zack was just… indescribable.

He smiled at her then, moving his hand to gently place it on her shoulder, giving a soft squeeze. "But you're right. It's a waste… But it can't be helped. We're SOLDIER, we do as we're told, kill who we're told to kill, fight where we're sent. It's kinda sad, but that's just the way things are."

Feeling quite uncomfortable with him touching her, Emerald just nodded. If she was right, the war would be over soon, there would be very little fighting, just the odd renegade here and there which Zack would be dispatched to neutralise. The end of the war was in sight, and Emerald couldn't help but be glad, even though she'd only been there for a few hours.

-_- -_- -_- Dreams of the Morrow -_- -_- -_-

-_- -_- -_- Chapter End -_- -_- -_-

AN: No, this is **NOT** a Zack/AU. This **IS** a _Sephiroth/Genesis_ and probably _Zack/Cloud_. I'm not sure about the last one yet, I haven't finished writing it. I'm writing this…slowly. I'm putting a lot of effort into this, and I would LOVE some feedback, even if you're just pointing out some mistake in my un-bata'd work. Yeah, I can't even spell that lol.

Oh, and the disclaimer thingie (I'm hopeless for remembering to put this on, so I'll say it here, and it applies for the entirety of the story); -clears throat- Okay, it's not mine. I mean, Wutai, Midgar, SOLDIER, Zack, the Final Fantasy plot, Chocobos, Genesis, Loveless, I own none of it. Not a single bit. Nadda. The only thing I own is the actual disks the game is on, and only coz I bought them… So yeah. Not mine.

But in saying that, Emerald _is_ mine. While I can't use her in any original fictions (not as she is now, it'll come clear later on), I would appreciate it if you didn't use her, without first asking me. But I'd probably let you use her if you really want to –shrugs-, just ask first yeah?

THANK YOU

for reading XD

Any feedback is appreciated. And I'm on the look out for a talented beta who can put up with inconsistent chapter updates...

Latest update done on 13th November 2011 (Happy birthday mom)

Lastly, I would like to profusely thank aardy for the amazing review they left when I first started writing this story. I have just put those changes into effect. Seriously awesome review. I could only hope for more like that.


	2. The Fates

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 1 – My Friend, the Fates are Cruel ---___--- ---___--- ---___----_

_Dreams of the morrow, hath the shattered soul. _

"Why bring me?" Emerald couldn't help but ask as she looked at Zack. Her Intel had said that Zack had only been in Wutai at the end, that he'd only been on one mission at Fort Tamberlin, which had been an open and close mission, finished in less than half an hour. So what was he doing taking care of her?

Zack had walked her all the way back to the encampment and had demanded that she be able to go with him, not seeming to care that the director was there, that he was completely against Emerald going with Zack, but in the end, the second class SOLDIER had got his way, and Emerald had followed him and Angeal to the fort, while waiting for the first group (which Emerald knew was just Sephiroth), to set the charge.

Zack grinned at Emerald before shrugging, "You gotta see what being second is all about!" He explained, his tone something above joy. He seemed excited, probably intending to show off his 'skills' to Emerald, to see what she would one day become. If only he knew.

"Zack, concentrate!" Angeal scolded him, obviously not impressed that a third was coming with them. He shook his head and looked away, at the fort they were about to infiltrate. "The last thing you need right now is a distraction." And with that, he pulled the Buster Sword from his back, holding it in front of his face in a trademark salute to honour. Emerald wished to do something similar with her own blade, but alas, she'd had to give it up, in order to keep up appearances. The last thing she needed was questions on how she was able to wield such a monster of a blade.

Instead, she just closed her eyes in her own silent acknowledgment, their silence only broken by Zack.

"You know, I've never seen you use that…" He pointed out to Angeal, his voice completely serious for once, his expression curious, just like the puppy he was said to resemble. "It seems kind of a waste." He repeated Emerald's earlier words, without seeming to realize it, and the young woman let a small smile grace her lips. Maybe Cloud was right, she and Zack _were_ similar, which was surprising considering her heritage.

"Use brings about wear, tare and rust, and that's a _real_ waste." Angeal's words left a small pang in her heart as her mind flashed back to where she'd seen the massive sword, imbedded in rock, overlooking the wastelands, on a cliff, rusted and old. No. That wouldn't happen. She'd stop it before it came to that.

All other conversation was broke off by the sound of an explosion. Sephiroth had been successful, and now it was time for Zack's mission to begin. Since it was his mission, and his alone, she was to stay back with Angeal and wait for him to return, while the director watched from a safe distance. She wasn't worried, she knew exactly when and where Zack was fated to die.

"Oh yeah!" Zack jumped up with a flip, bringing her mind back to their current situation, and she laughed slightly as he landed and ran excitedly towards the fort.

"He's very excitable." She commented, not looking at the first she was with. Cloud's words rang in her head, respect and awe… respect and awe… She had to pretend to feel like she wasn't worthy of being around SOLDIERs.

A soft chuckle from beside her caused her to smile and relax a little. "That he is." Angeal mumbled, leaning against the wall as he looked at her. "So… why are you with him?" he asked, looking directly at her.

"Sir?" She questioned, not quite understanding the question.

"How old are you, SOLDIER?"

"Uh, fifteen sir." She answered, completely honestly. Since the sign up age for the Shin-Ra military was fourteen, she found no reason of lying. "I signed up the day of my fourteenth birthday." She was a little cautious about where this was heading, she had to be careful of what she told him exactly.

"I don't remember any women in SOLDIER…" That was more reflective than accusing, but still, Emerald didn't let her guard down. No. Nobody could know. She finally looked at him and gave him a nervous smile.

"I guess I'm the first." She said to him, looking over her shoulder a little uncomfortably, hoping her manner would cause him to stop asking questions. She was right, and sighed in relief when he just chuckled and shook his head, looking forward while waiting for Zack to return.

* * *

Well, that certainly went well… After Zack had come back, it had been such mayhem, ending with her huddled in a helicopter with Zack, the director and Sephiroth.

General Sephiroth of the Shin-Ra army – possibly the most powerful man in the world - was sat directly opposite her, and she couldn't help but feel completely petrified at the idea that _he_ was sat there, looking completely calm, if not a little annoyed at her constant staring. She was hoping he'd think it was of awe, and not the fear and hatred that she really felt. It was all his fault. Everything. The reason she was here, the reason Cloud was so depressed all the time, the reason why she hadn't met Zack earlier, as a child, the reason the planet was so injured, the reason everyone had been sick and so many had to die… it was all his fault. _He_ was the reason. Sephiroth - the nightmare - the demon of Wutai. She swallowed, once again trying to hide the hatred that she'd grown up knowing. But she didn't seem to be doing very well. Sephiroth was sat there, giving her strange looks, looking directly into her eyes.

What? Did he know what she was thinking? That was impossible… right? The materia that had got her there was unique, made by Cloud and the Ancients, right? So he couldn't know. She felt a little safer at that, and was kind of glad they were returning to Midgar.

Her clothes would never be the same. Since she'd seen that battle, killed so many, she was covered in blood, and dirt from laying on the ground. Not only that, but there were quite a few tares and holes covering her. She was kind of glad for the suspenders keeping what was left of her clothes on, if it hadn't been for them, she may have been wearing considerably less.

She didn't even want to _think_ about the state of her hair.

The helicopter ride was a long one, having to go from one continent to another, and she was happy when it was finally over. It hadn't been silent, not by any stretch of the imagination. It was very difficult to be quiet for a long stretch of time when Zack was with you after all.

She sighed softly and tore her gaze from Sephiroth, saddened at the fact that Angeal wasn't with them. She knew why, having been told about this. She brought her knees up as she watched the sky pass her window, the exhaustion of the day finally settling in. Just a few minutes wouldn't hurt…would it? Closing her eyes, she relaxed against the chair.

What felt like a minute later, she was being shaken, a smiling Zack above her, his face being revealed to her as she blinked her eyes open. "Hnn?" She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. The helicopter was still now, causing the youth to be completely confused. "What?" She looked around, noticing that the other passengers on the aircraft were disembarking. "We're back?"

"Yup." Zack pulled away, giving Emerald a little space to sit up.

"I…fell asleep?" She asked, still a little dazed. She noticed Sephiroth leaving the roof, along with the Turk that had driven them there, and that left her alone with the second class SOLDIER.

"Yeah, but now we're safe at home." He grinned and got down from the vehicle, offering a hand for Emerald to take, to help her down. She took it, quickly removing herself from the helicopter and looking around, still in a daze. "We should go see Hojo." Zack said, looking away from her and walking towards the roof entrance of the building, continuing speaking even after Emerald froze. "He's gotta check us out, post mission regs and all that…" That was when he noticed that she wasn't following him, just stood there staring at him, looking even more petrified now than when he'd found her in the battlefield.

"What's the matter?" Doubling back, he waited for her to speak, looking down at her in concern.

"I-" Her throat was dry, the organ not willing to let sound escape even as she swallowed and tried again. "I can't go to Hojo." There was no way she'd be able to survive a meeting with him. "I-I should go to Hollander…" swallowing again, she tried to stop her body from trembling.

"O…kay…" The confusion was written on Zack's face, his eyes narrowing and his lips drawing into a single line. "Right then. We'll get you to Hollander…"

He was smiling at her again, comforting her without even realizing it and she briefly returned that smile as they began to walk in the directions of the Beta labs. Once there, he grinned at her again, ruffling her hair before bidding her good-bye. "See ya around." He told her, grinning and walking away. She couldn't be sure, but Emerald thought she may have just made a new friend.

"Okay then…"

She waited until Zack was away before leaving, returning to the barracks that were supposed to be her home, keeping away from the labs. Slipping into the deserted rooms, she found a computer terminal, knowing this had to be done as soon as possible.

Thanks to her 'contacts', she was able to easily hack into the system, using the password and login of the president himself, knowing that nobody would dare check his logs. She worked steadily for half an hour before logging out and standing. She didn't want to be found in here – sure, this was where she was stationed to be staying, but it was just too damn quiet, everyone having been killed in the battle where she met Zack.

She wandered around for a little while, curfew wasn't for another few hours, so she figured she was safe. The sun was setting, causing her to wonder just how long it took for them to get back to Midgar, and if they had stopped along the way without bothering to wake her. That was a depressing thought, and more than a little terrifying. To be around Sephiroth, while unconscious was something that went against the base of her training. It was a bad idea, and she didn't want to think she'd already let him down.

That thought gave her an idea of where she could go to pass the time, but it was way too late to do that now. She'd have to visit the church later, pay her respects to the girl that wasn't dead yet, and possibly talk to the planet. Who knew, she may even make a connection this time.

While wondering, she hadn't been too aware of her surroundings, or the people in them – so it came as a complete shock to her when someone cleared their throat. Jumping, she turned around and was faced by someone she would much rather not be. "G-General Sephiroth, sir!" She was instantly at attention, her eyes reading the man in front of her, watching his every move and waiting for him to do something. He just looked at her, a strange expression on his face.

"Who are you?" He asked, his tone making it clear he wanted no deception.

"E-Emerald, SOLDIER third class, sir!" She could only hope she had made the necessary 'adjustments' to the computer system in time, and that she hadn't been found out already.

He shook his head, "That doesn't tell me anything." He told her. "Who are you?" He asked again, "I don't want a name and a rank."

"I-I don't understand sir…" Emerald found herself saying while thinking on his question. If not for her name and rank…who _was_ she? Her entire life had been devoted to doing this single mission, she'd trained day and night, almost died many times in the effort. She'd gone through a very rough childhood…just to be able to do this…but… who did that make her?

"You look at me with fear, not awe." He was stood straight, staring down at her, "And your eyes… I thought I was the only one with eyes like that."

She froze, her mind repeating the same word over and over as she tried to think of some way to explain that without telling the truth. _'Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'_ "I- I don't know h-how I got eyes like this…" She told him. "I-I never met my parents…so I don't know…" That was a lie. She knew full well where she got her looks, and as for the not meeting her parents…well…that was only partially right.

Sephiroth just shook his head. "You are lying." He looked up, noting the sky and then turned around. "You may want to return to your room. Curfew is soon."

The idea of returning there caused Emerald to shudder. The place was empty, the entire platoon having been slaughtered. "I don't want to go back there…" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she looked away from Sephiroth. She could sense that he'd stopped and was looking at her again.

"How old are you?" He asked, curiosity in his voice.

"I'm fifteen." Emerald answered easily, looking down at the ground. This wasn't a lie…not really.

A slight nod from Sephiroth was all she got before he left. She remained where she was for a moment, wondering why the hell he would want to know that.

Soon, she had to return to the barracks, or else she'd be caught out after curfew, and she didn't want any trouble at the moment – that was just asking for it.

* * *

The rooms were dark and silent, their lone occupant only now walking through the deserted corridors. The sound of footsteps echoed eerily off the solid concrete walls, making them sound louder than they were. Green eyes were glowing in the darkened rooms, the mako enhancements shining through the dark, negating the need for lights.

Slowly, Emerald moved through the barracks, wanting nothing more than to shower and change. She reached the room that she was assigned to and slipped in, reaching for the closet before slipping back out of the room.

Her shower took her twenty minutes, her OCD personality shining through as she washed over and over, trying to remove the blood and dirt that had long ago left her skin. But once the shower was finished, and she was clean enough, she dried and dressed before making her way back to her depressive room.

The lights never went on.

A surprise was awaiting her at her door, in the form of an infantryman stood awkwardly. "Sir," He said to her as soon as he saw her, standing at attention. "General Sephiroth gave me orders," He said, "I am to escort you to your knew room."

Frowning, Emerald looked at the young officer, her breath catching in her throat as she realized who he was. Blonde hair was sticking out from under his helmet, his visor raised as he squinted, trying hard to see in the dark, his blue eyes searching for her outline. She stared at the younger form of the man who practically raised her, and found her mind wasn't working too well at that point.

After a second, he tensed a little more, "Sir?" He asked, gesturing down the corridor with one hand, "A-are you coming?" He asked, and Emerald had to try not to smile at the absurdity of Cloud calling her 'sir'.

"Were you given reasons for my transference?" She asked with curiosity, wondering why Sephiroth had organized this for her. Perhaps there was to be a new battalion come in.

"Yes sir. There's going to be a new unit assigned here, and… well sir, the General had concerns that you wouldn't feel comfortable in with another unit since you're… well… a woman, sir…"

Emerald smirked slightly at that. Cloud was blushing up a storm, which was something she'd never seen before. She shook her head and turned the smirk into a small smile. "Alright, show me where I'm supposed to go." She briefly wondered about her stuff, and then realized that the only possessions she had in that room were stolen uniforms. It didn't really matter to her.

She followed Cloud as he led her to the elevators and up several floors. Since the unit Emerald had been assigned to were newly promoted thirds, they had still been in the housing for the cadets, but now that she was a SOLDIER, she was to be moved to floor 49.

It took them a long time to get there, but when they finally did, Cloud showed her through a door and to the front of another apartment style housing. "Th-this is it, sir." He said, obviously not used to being around a SOLDIER operative.

"What's your name?" She asked, even knowing the answer. This was so that she could cover herself if she accidently used it later on – such things had been known to happen.

"C-cloud Strife."

"Thank you, C-cloud Strife." Emerald said, unable to resist the temptation to tease him while he couldn't hit her for it. He just blushed and bowed his head, waiting for a dismissal that Emerald gave him with a wave of her hand. She then turned and entered her new home.

It wasn't exactly big, but it wasn't the small room she was supposed to be in either. She looked around, noting that there was no personal items or anything like that, and the furniture was all new. This room had never been lived in before. She smiled softly and went to explore her new room.

* * *

For the next few days, Emerald was given down time, which she used to explore Old Midgar. The plate was explored first, her speed and training allowing her to walk on building tops without being seen, and thus allowing her to look around without being spotted. Sector Eight, Sector Seven, Sector Zero… She explored them all before moving beneath the plate. All the while, making sure to keep her phone with her.

On the sixth day without missions, Emerald found herself wondering around Sector 5, and soon enough, stumbling upon the church she had spent so much of her childhood within. Blinking, she took a breath before letting it out slowly and stepping forward, her boots lifting some of the dirt from the floor.

The doors creaked open slightly, and she let herself in, noting the lack of pool. She saw the flowers and smiled softly, heading towards them. It was only then that she saw the young woman that was stood there. "Hello." The young woman said, smiling softly.

"Hello…" She stepped even closer to the flowers. "I'm sorry… I was just… exploring." She looked at the flowers and shook her head. "You're growing flowers? I thought it was impossible to grow flowers in Midgar, let alone under the plate…" Emerald knew the truth of course, she knew how Aerith was the only one able to do this, how the flowers grew in her holy place along with her home. Only the places to touch the ancient's heart.

The young woman beamed and nodded. "That's right." She had been tending to the flowers, but after saying that, she stood and moved towards her. "I'm Aerith." She introduced herself, smiling at Emerald.

"Emerald." The SOLDIER returned the gesture, looking at the young woman before her. "It's nice to meet you." She looked past her, at the flowers and then back at Aerith. "Can I sit with the flowers…?" She asked, not wanting to impose, but knowing that the young woman wouldn't think she was.

"Of course." Aerith turned and sat back with the flowers, tending to them. "But be careful." She added, "They don't seem to like anyone else."

Nodding, Emerald sat and watched, not touching the delicate plants as a small smile formed on her face. She could easily tell how both Zack and Cloud could have fallen for her – she was…something else.

They spent several hours there, just sitting and watching the flowers as the day went by and darkness began to decend. Once it became too dark, Emerald stood. "Thank you, Aerith." She said to the young woman, meaning for more than the time she'd just given her to sit and relax…but for everything that she had done in the previous lifetime.

Aerith just smiled at her, her green eyes shining in the half light.

"Will you be alright to get home?" Emerald asked, looking at the hole in the roof. She had thought that had happened when Zack or Cloud fell from the plate…but it looked like it had been there for much longer. The plate above was shrouded in darkness, showing that it was late evening.

Aerith just stood and nodded. "Of course." She said with a bright smile. "The monsters don't attack very often, and everybody here is so nice to me." She smiled and also looked up. "Will I… see you again?" She asked, and Emerald just nodded with a grin.

"You can bet on it." She nodded, "I'll come see you whenever I can." And with that, Emerald returned home.

* * *

It had been nearly two months since Wutai, and Emerald had been put on standby – meaning she had nothing to do but train. She spent most of the time, trying to handle the short swords that third class SOLDIER's were given. It was difficult for her, and it was frustrating her no end.

So, on a cold day, after dark, she snuck into the VR room, not realizing that there was somebody watching her. In her hand, she carried one of the General's backup blades, the long length glistened in the artificial light as she moved into the training room, and set up a scenario.

When the first enemy appeared, she destroyed it instantly, easily, a small smile on her face showing the comfort of wielding the masamune rather than the short swords she'd been forced to handle lately. The enemy's continued to appear, one after the other after the other, only to be easily removed by her skilful hand. Eventually, she was beginning to get bored from the level of challenge, and moved to the computer, making the difficulty increase. Because of this, she wasn't too surprised when Sephiroth appeared behind her. She just smiled and raised her blade in challenge, looking directly into his identical eyes.

This would be fun.

It didn't surprise her that he produced a masamune of his own, she had been expecting that. Her mind believed that this Sephiroth was the virtual reality equivalent of the General, and had no idea that he was in fact, the real silver General.

Their fight was fast, had somebody come to watch, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with the swift movements as both SOLDIER's moved, dashing here and there. After three minutes, the first hit was landed, a blow to the back of Emerald's head. Sephiroth had teleported behind her and hit her with his hilt, a look of determination on his face.

She stumbled forward a little, cursing under her breath before turning around. That was one thing she'd never mastered. She could teleport like Sephiroth, but it had never been reliable.

"Most intriguing." The man spoke, stopping his movements as Emerald's gaze widened. Sephiroth only smirked. "Do you think me an illusion?" He asked, walking over to the computer and turning the simulation off. The dead bodies of the enemies Emerald had previously eliminated disappeared as she stared at Sephiroth.

His silver locks were dishevelled, no longer in the flawless state they generally sat in, and he was breathing slightly harder than normal.

Swallowing nervously, Emerald stared at Sephiroth before remembering where she was. She instantly dropped the sword and stood at attention, swallowing again so that she could speak. "S-Sir! I- I apologise…I thought you were part of the-"

He cut her off by raising his hand as he stepped forward and retrieved her blade, looking down at the weapon with an unreadable expression on his face. "Is this mine?"

"S-sir," Emerald nodded, trying to keep the fear from her expression. He'd already caught her out on it once… "I-I borrowed it from the armoury sir… I apologise…"

He shook his head, lifting the weapon and handing it to her, automatically going to give it to her right hand. She took the blade awkwardly and transferred it to her left hand, to which, Sephiroth raised a brow. "You may have some explaining to do, Emerald."

Taking a step back, Sephiroth looked at her with a calm expression. "Perhaps you should begin by telling me where you learned how to use that sword."

"I-I've always used long swords sir…"

Emerald had gone pale. This was bad, this was really bad. He couldn't know, she couldn't tell him, and he'd see that she was lying. It was best to use half lies- to just neglect to explain a few things…yes… That would work…

"Yes, but who taught you? Hmm?" He continued to study her as she became more and more uncomfortable. As the seconds passed by, she felt more at risk, being alone in a room with Sephiroth.

"I-I taught myself." She really wished she'd stop stuttering. "I used to fight… with my foster-father." She told him, "He'd use a broad sword, and I a masamune…" She swallowed, hoping that he would believe that. He nodded, looking at her still.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice almost silent.

"Sir?" She had already told him who she was… "I'm Emerald-" Once again, he cut her off shaking his head.

"This does not matter." He said, looking at the blade that was held limply in Emerald's left hand. "You may keep the blade." He told her, surprising her, "I have yet to break a sword and I have several in reserve. Though I must suggest that you get it shortened a little." The weapon was definitely bigger than Emerald and should have been near impossible for her to use.

"You and I will have to practice again some time." He told her, "It has been a while since someone other than Genesis or Angeal posed a threat." He then surprised her even more, by giving her a soft smile. "Report to the briefing room first thing tomorrow." He ordered, "You'll be going on a mission."

And with that, he left her, staring after him, in the training room.

"Well that was weird." She mumbled, looking down at her new weapon.

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

**AN: **Phew… Finally finished. Sorry it took so long… but I didn't get many reviews, and I wasn't sure if anyone was actually reading so I wasn't that inspired x.x

Anyways… This chapter was pretty much just to introduce the well known characters and reveal a little more of Emerald's personality and past – You'll find more out later on. And I had to put Cloud in, even as a cameo at the moment.

Story Stats So Far:

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It's not a very popular story, is it x.x


	3. Fly Away

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 2 – Fly Away---___--- ---___--- ---___----_

_My friend, do you fly away now, to a world that abhors you and I? _

"Has there been anything from Angeal yet?" A familiar voice entered the room and Emerald looked up. Was this who they were waiting for? She had been stood in the same position for the last ten minutes, watching Lazard continue with paperwork while they waited for the SOLDIER that was to join them.

Raising her head, she saw the young man that had helped her out before, Zack. A soft smile found its way onto her lips as she watched him talk to Lazard, seemingly ignorant of her existence.

"It seems we can't even get a hold of him by phone." Lazard told Zack, putting the papers down and regarding him. He didn't bring attention to Emerald's presence, and she just stood there, observing. She was here for a mission briefing it seemed.

"Then why did you call for me?" Zack asked, spreading his feet slightly to get more comfortable in his stance.

Emerald stayed still, her back against a wall, one knee bent to allow for her foot to rest against it too. Her arms were folded over her chest, and her sword hung from her shoulder.

"A new mission." Lazard said to Zack, smiling a little at the male. His hands went to be clasped in front of him, as he regarded the two SOLDIER's in front of him. "I'd like for you to investigate the home town of the missing SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis." Well, that seemed simple enough.

"Excuse me?" Zack asked, looking bewildered.

A soft sigh escaped Lazard and he adjusted his glasses while looking at the two in front of him. Zack still hadn't realized that Emerald was there, which was giving her silent amusement.

"We're going to Banora." Emerald said, pushing herself off the wall and walking forwards. Zack practically jumped out of his skin as he looked at her, and then back at Lazard who nodded. "To investigate the location of Genesis…right?" She asked, her mind having already put things together.

"I've dispatched some of our staff to check on the situation, but they haven't reported in. I'd like for you to go and check out the situation." Behind her, Emerald could hear the sound of the door opening, even as she listened to Lazard speak her orders.

"He will be accompanying you." Lazard gestured to the newcomer as the man stepped forward.

"I am Tseng, of the Turks." He introduced himself, and Emerald swallowed. This must be an important mission if they were sending a Turk… so why send a Second and a Third? That didn't make sense to her. "Once you're ready, please let me know." He added, standing beside Lazard.

Emerald and Zack looked at each other for a second before nodding and turning back. "We're ready." Zack said for the both of them.

"It's a pleasure to be working with you." Tseng said to them and Zack beamed.

"We're just doing some investigating, right? This'll be a piece of cake!" He seemed overly enthusiastic, causing Emerald to hide a smirk. Zack would be Zack…right? She watched Zack and Tseng interact, enjoying herself but not wanting to get in the way. Besides, this was highly amusing.

"I doubt it." Tseng told him, keeping his emotions well hidden, "This was supposed to be Sephiroth's mission. In other words, this mission should be taken seriously. If you take it too lightly, you will fail."

This just caused Zack to scratch his head in confusion. "And what about Sephiroth?" He asked, curios as to why their superior wasn't going to join them.

"He refuses to go."

Emerald raised her eyebrows at that, looking at the Turk in confusion. _He refuses to go_? Did that mean that this was…the mission that Genesis was found on? The one where Angeal… She swallowed, trying to stay amused and not think on what was going to happen.

"Is that even possible? Aren't you guys being just a little too soft on him?" Zack asked, joking with Tseng, who was teasing him back, a strange thing for a Turk.

"Hm. Why don't you tell him that?"

Zack gave his infamous 'puppy dog look', causing the youngest person in the room to smirk as Tseng rolled his eyes. "Uh, please don't…" Zack gave a small, unsure smile with his hands in front of him, as if praying that Tseng wouldn't go through with his jest.

"We should go." Emerald said, finally adding her words to the conversation. Instantly, both Zack and Tseng turned to her and nodded. They headed out, using the helicopter to move towards Banora.

Slivery green eyes looked over the landscape as they hovered above the town. She'd never seen Banora before, and the stories which she had been told by those who had were true. It was beautiful. She looked over at Tseng as he moved the air vehicle to land. How she wished she could tell him of her past, and of the part he had played in it. All those stories he'd told her as he trained her in the way of the Turks.

Smiling a little, she drew her attention back to the ground as she stepped off the now still aircraft. Zack and Tseng followed. "Emerald, you are to stay here and guard the helicopter from monsters. Unless there is an emergency, you are to remain here. Should an emergency arise, you are to contact use over PHS. Do you understand your orders?"

Emerald nodded, not expecting anything more from her first mission outside of war. She stood by the still vehicle and watched as both Zack and Tseng left. As soon as she deemed them to be far enough away, she moved, defying orders and heading towards where she knew Genesis would be. She'd studied maps of the area, and had been told of the shortcuts that were considered too dangerous for the original mission.

But for her, they were fine.

It only took her ten minutes to reach the factory, and she slipped inside unnoticed, locking the door behind her, knowing that Zack would enter from the roof. She headed further inside and let herself into the room which housed Genesis.

"Hmm…" The voice of the man she had come to see startled her into looking around. She couldn't see him, but obviously he was there.

"Genesis." She called out, placing her hands on either side of her, showing that she wasn't going to hurt him. "I'm just here to talk, before Zack and Tseng get here." She remained still, waiting for him to make his whereabouts known. Footsteps could be heard, stepping slowly around her. He ended up stood before her.

"And you would be?"

"A friend." Was the short answer. She looked up at him, her green eyes staring directly into his blue ones.

"I have no such thing." Those words caused her to frown and shake her head.

"Please, Genesis." She said quietly, "I haven't much time. Zack and Tseng will be here any moment. Just… don't injure them. I will speak with you afterwards…" She looked behind her, hearing a crash and feeling her blood run cold. Zack was there. This was it, she hadn't got out in time.

She'd be found out.

"This way." Blinking, Emerald turned back to Genesis, seeing him moving away. He was heading towards the window, and it had been him who spoke. Stepping forward, she followed him, allowing her hands to drop as he opened the window and gestured for her to jump out.

Turning to look at him, she nodded, smiling softly. "I'll talk with you later." She promised, "I'll help you."

He looked a little disbelieving at that and just shook his head. "This is no place for children." He told her, and she accepted that…for now. Removing the holster around her shoulders, she dropped the massive sword from the window before jumping down. Retrieving her weapon, she looked back at the window, noting that Genesis had sat on the windowsill, looking at her. She then ran into the surrounding foliage, using it as cover to make her way back to her post.

* * *

Emerald easily made it to her post without being seen, and waited. She hated doing that, just waiting. It seemed like a waste of time…but…sometimes that's all you could do.

"_When the war of the beasts, brings about the worlds end,"_ The verse was spoken behind her, and Emerald turned to see Genesis stood against the helicopter. How did he get there so quickly without her noticing? He opened his mouth, as if to continue, but Emerald beat him to it.

"_The goddess descends from the sky._ Right?" She asked, smirking a little at Genesis. The crimson general nodded, staring at her.

"You seem familiar." He told her, "As if I have known you for many years."

"It's…complicated." She told him, looking around to be sure that Zack and Tseng weren't on their way back yet. "I can help you." She told him, "I have access to the S cells." She told him, saying no more but looking into his eyes. After a second, he looked away.

"And what makes you think I have need of such things?" He asked, replacing the book he'd just been reading. He placed it in his coat pocket.

Emerald was quiet for a moment. How could she explain this? "I just know you do." There was a sound from the town, and Emerald looked, her enhanced vision allowing her to see what was happening. "If I'm found talking to you, there will be trouble." She told him. "Just… come back to the company. I'll help you from there…" Turning again, she looked directly into his eyes. "Let me help you."

He just laughed and shook his head, turning and moving away. She watched him as he ran to the town, knowing what was to come next. This beautiful place…would be in ruin.

* * *

Several weeks passed from the Banora mission. Emerald had spent the time, once again training, but this time with her masamune. Two more times, Sephiroth had joined her, and he seemed impressed with her abilities, though she was not. Eventually, about two weeks after the mission to Banora, Emerald got a phone call.

"Emerald." She answered, frowning when no caller ID was shown. She waited for whoever it was to speak.

"Sephiroth here. Report to the briefing room." After that, the phone went dead.

As she made her way to the conference room, she added that number before pocketing her phone. Arriving, she opened the door and stepped through, joining both Sephiroth and Lazard. "Sirs," She greeted, standing to attention.

"At ease." Lazard said as Sephiroth smirked. Emerald relaxed her posture slightly, but was still weary. "Sephiroth has been telling me that you've been training with him. Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir." Emerald confirmed, swallowing nervously while risking a glance at Sephiroth. The general seemed more amused than worried, so Emerald forced herself to relax a little.

She turned her gaze back to Lazard who nodded, his blonde hair falling into his face before being flipped away. "I understand. You are to continue to do so. You will be directly under his command, his protégé if you like." While Lazard was saying this, Sephiroth stood.

"I have been ordered to take on an apprentice." He explained to her. "We both have a rather…uncommon ability with the masamune. It was logical to choose you."

Emerald nodded, still frowning. "But sir, I thought you could only be an apprentice at Second class…" She said slowly, looking more than a little confused at the two.

"That is correct." Lazard told her, smiling now. "As of this moment, you are promoted to second class."

Okay, that was strange. She wasn't about to turn the promotion down… but she'd only been in SOLDIER for a few months, less than half a year. That didn't make much sense. "I didn't think I'd been here long enough…" She told them, still frowning.

"Sephiroth…insisted." Lazard sent Sephiroth a look and Emerald found herself turning to stare at the general.

He just shrugged, actually looking a little embarrassed at that. He looked to Emerald, "Are you refusing the promotion?" He asked lightly, causing her to shake her head rapidly. She was more than a little nervous to be working along side Sephiroth so much, but she couldn't change that. Besides, this could help with her mission… it would help. She would make it work.

"No sir!" She said quickly, "I was just confused." Smiling, she saluted. "Thank you sirs!"

Sephiroth's lips tilted up at the ends as he offered her a small, amused smile. "Very well." He said quietly, "Your training will begin tomorrow morning. Report to the VR room by 9am." He told her, dismissing her.

She nodded before leaving.

Sephiroth was going to be her teacher, teaching her how to fight… Her training before this was specifically on how to fight _him_. This could only be useful, she would actually be learning from him, being able to find his weaknesses and know how to exploit them. This was great!

So why was she still afraid?

* * *

The crowd was surrounding the 'field' often used by SOLDIER trainee's on nice days. Outside the official building, but still within the grounds there was a small concrete block that had been painted green. It was often used for the lower class SOLDIER's to train in order to get their skills up to scratch before they went into the VR room and wrecked it.

Today, it was drizzling slightly, the sun hidden by clouds, causing a large shadow to cover the paint infested ground. A wide circle had been formed by on-lookers, Shin-Ra members and civilians alike, all watching what would prove to be an interesting battle. It was assumed to be one-sided, which is exactly why they had chosen to fight here.

Sephiroth had been teaching Emerald for two months now. Three times a day. No words were spoken between the two aside from Sephiroth giving her advice and her asking any questions necessary. They hadn't become friends, and Emerald was still terrified of the silver General.

But things were going to change today, she could feel it in the air.

Zack had come, being dragged along with Kunsel, the two friends wanting to watch Sephiroth and his student battle it out.

They were stood there, in the centre of the large number of people that had gathered, Emerald furthest away from the main building, while Sephiroth was on the other end of the battle ground. They both were holding long blades in their left hands, each watching the other wearily, waiting for the first move to be dealt.

There! Emerald saw it, a slight flicker in Sephiroth's eyes, the silted pupils glancing to the side slightly, giving away his next movement. Instantly, she shifted her weight onto her right side, spinning in time for him to go sailing past her, missing her by less than an inch. She quickly continued in her spin, bringing up her weapon to avoid the slash she knew was coming.

A loud crash was all that was heard, the crowed silent around them. Twin blades met, and beyond each, twin eyes stared into each others depths before both people pushed away at the same time, using their strength to get distance. Sephiroth mearly jumped backwards, but since the power behind his thrust had been more, Emerald had no choice but to bend her back. Reaching out with her right hand, she balanced herself while bringing her legs up behind her and then landing on them swiftly.

Raising her blade again, she stared at Sephiroth, dimly aware of the awe in the crowed around them. Her silver green eyes narrowed as she saw the way Sephiroth was stood. To anyone else, it would look as if he wasn't ready for the fight, like he wasn't paying attention, but Emerald knew better.

Lifting her blade, she carried out a move she had never done around Sephiroth before. Her right hand joined her left, hovering just above the hilt as she gently moved it across the base of the blade and away in a sweeping motion. Red tendrils, somewhat akin to the lifestream in appearance circled the blade, causing it to briefly glow red.

Her eyes were still locked onto Sephiroth's, and she lowered her right hand before lifting the left, the masamune pointing outwards in an obvious challenge.

But Sephiroth did not move. He was waiting for her to attack, to show what she was really made of. And so, she did. Bending her knees only slightly, she lifted herself off the ground, and as quick as a flash, she was beside Sephiroth, her blade inches away from his stomach.

Surprise flickered on his face for a second, but he recovered fast, moving quickly to his left, bringing up his weapon just in time to prevent injury. His eyes narrowed and Emerald knew that the fun was over.

This was getting serious now.

She jumped away from him, never letting him out of her sight as she jumped, intending on attacking him from above. But he blocked her before pushing back on his blade, sending her up into the air. A half second pause was all she got to recover before he jumped up after her, his blade coming towards her in several quick slashes, so fast that they caused the air around them to solidify and head towards her in a deadly attack. Her arms came out in front of her as he face twisted into a surprised fear. Her movements weren't quite fast enough, and one of the beams hit her, causing her direction to change dramatically.

She fell from the air and landed on the ground, skidding about a yard before she attempted to get up on trembling limbs. Her blade was raised again, her eyes levelling and staring into Sephiorth's. She stood, stumbling only slightly from the massive blow to her system. With her strength as depleted as it was, she had to use her weapon with both hands.

"That's enough." Sephiroth said, looking down at her. She shook her head, raising her weapon defiantly.

"No. I can do this." She said, swallowing. She was thankful that this wasn't a real fight. He had taken her out so easily! Wasn't she specifically trained to fight Sephiroth if need be? Wasn't that why she was there? Cloud had thought she was ready…so then… why was she having such trouble?

Shaking, she tried to step forward, but her legs weakened and she stumbled to the ground, her weapon falling from her double grip. "Ah!" Her face would have met the ground if it wasn't for the arm that suddenly appeared around her shoulders.

"You've had enough for today." It was Sephiroth who was holding her, and now, with him so close, Emerald could tell a few things. One, he was breathing a little heavier than normal, and two… he was sweating. She'd posed that much of a challenge?

Raising her head, Emerald looked at Sephiroth and nodded once, trying to get back to holding herself up on her own.

Cheers erupted and it was then that she remembered that they weren't alone. Looking around, she noted that everyone seemed to be cheering…for her. Frowning, she looked around in confusion before looking up at Sephiroth, a question in her gaze.

"Nobody has lasted so long against me. Not in a long time." He told her. "You did well."

Swallowing, Emerald nodded before looking into the crowed. Less than a second later, it became too much, her head spinning and darkness descending. Dimly she was aware that somebody caught her before she hit the ground, but after that, nothing registered anymore.

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

AN: … I know… this story seems crap right now, but there's a few things I need to get out of the way before we can get into the real plot. Oh, and there's some comedy coming up, along with the beginning of the romance – (in a chapter or two… xD) yay! Finally… Anyway, I wanna know what you think about this story, and if you're no too sure on it just yet, please stick with it. It'll get better ^^

AN2: Oh, and the dialogue in the story that matches up with that in the game is from a translation. I only have the Japanese video's and I don't feel like playing the game again just to get the words exactly right. This is a semi-AU, so it shouldn't matter if I get it slightly wrong – right?


	4. No Rest

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 3 – No Rest ---___--- ---___--- ---___----

_The wandering soul knows no rest. _

The sun had set and rose again when Emerald woke, her head pounding, and her stomach complaining at the lack of food in so long. She swallowed the cotton wool taste in her mouth and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to remove the traces of sleep that had built up in the hours that she had been resting. It was early morning, that much she was sure of, but as for where she was…

The ceiling above her was white, not the blue that was in her room, and not the sickly green that the infirmary seemed to love. It wasn't even the same dull grey that she saw in the labs. No… this was white. The bed she was lay upon was also not her own. It smelt knew, and the sheets were black silk. Something she could never hope to afford. It was also too big. A double as apposed to her single.

Sitting up, she regarded the rest of the room, noting that there was nothing that could tell her who's home she was in. The walls were bare white, aside from the intricate green pattern that seemed to cover the wall paper if one looked close enough. It was just small threads of green – almost like the lifestream. She smiled softly at that, still looking around.

Her shoulder pads, boots and belts had all been removed, but aside from that she was still fully dressed, a fact she was thankful for. The missing items were on a small wooden table in the middle of the room, along with a small piece of paper. Frowning a little, she stood and headed towards that note. Looking down, she opened it.

'Emerald.

After our match, you became fatigued. The doctor in the infirmary mentioned that you would wake on your own, but I did not think it wise you be alone. You are in my apartment, there is no need to worry. Breakfast will be in the refrigerator when you wake, and there is a bathroom joined to this room.

Sephiroth'

Short and to the point. Emerald liked that. But she was surprised that the general had thought of such a thing. He brought her home, gave her a place to rest, to clean up and then food? Smiling a little, she moved off to one of the doors, happy to find a rather large bathroom.

"Holy cow…" The bathroom was sparkling white, obviously never used. It must have been the guest bathroom or something… But what really caught Emerald off guard was the size of it. It was bigger than her living area in her home. The bath was about the size of a double bed, and there was a shower attached, along with a separate one in the corner of the room.

The toilet was nothing special, and nor was the sink (though that too was rather large), and the whole room was immaculately flawless.

Three white towels were on the counter beside the large basin, fluffy and obviously new. Beside them was a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and a bottle of liquid soap. Strawberry scented.

Smiling a little, Emerald went to check the door and make sure it was locked. She then stripped and began to bathe, the shower feeling wonderful on her worn body.

* * *

Half an hour later, Emerald emerged from the shower, feeling warm and relaxed – that was, until she remembered where she was. The smell of fresh bacon wafted through the room, sending her stomach in a growling frenzy, much to her embarrassment. Smiling nervously, she made her way into the living room, only to stop in surprise as she saw Sephiroth apparently struggling to make breakfast.

After a short while she became more amused than afraid as she watched the legendary silver general curse under his breath as he quite violently threw the pan in the sink. That was when he noticed who was stood there. He shrugged and spoke. "If you want breakfast, we'll go out." He said simply, obviously aware that he had promised her breakfast and had been unable to provide it.

Shaking her head, Emerald tried to remove the amused smirk from her face as she stepped into the room. "No. It's okay. I can skip breakfast today." She assured him. "What time is it?"

The real question she had wanted to ask was '_What am I doing here?',_ but that didn't seem too appropriate. She was still terrified of the man who was often dubbed 'The Nightmare', the destroyer of lives.

The silver general gestured to a clock which read nine thirty, and Emerald felt her eyes widen as she realized how late she was for her watch. "Crap."She exclaimed under her breath, looking around for her sword. "I'm so late!" Where was her sword!? Surely Sephiroth wouldn't have left it out in the field…

"Relax." The amused tones of the commander of the armies caused Emerald to turn and face the man she was so afraid of. "I have cleared you of your duties today." He told her, causing her eyes to widen somewhat.

Was he playing at something? Did he have a plan? Make her feel more comfortable, then kill her in her sleep? But no. Emerald couldn't help but admit that this man was different from the one in the stories. He didn't seem like he could be capable of destroying an entire town for his own pleasure. But then, who could. Was it really possible for one to be able to see that in a person, before the actions took place?

Emerald had obviously been staring into space as she thought of this, and was only roused by a hand waving in front of her face. Two concerned eyes, identical in colour and pupil as her own then flashed before her. Sephiroth had seen her space out, and had obviously become worried. A slight increase of pressure on her right arm made her aware that he was touching her.

Trying not to shudder at the contact, she slowly shook her head and pulled away, cursing herself for letting her guard down around this man.

"You seem to still be in need of rest." He said to her, "I apologise, I did not realize how tiring our match was yesterday." He said to her, dropping the hand that had found its way onto her arm. He obviously understood not wanting to be touched. She shook her head again before hanging it.

"I should be stronger than that." She told him, before looking up at him again and setting a determined look on her face. Anything to get rid of the intense fear she was feeling, being in such proximity to Sephiroth. "I need to get stronger." She told him, heading back into the room she had slept in, aware that he was curiously following her.

She left the door open, keeping her senses on the man that paused just before the threshold. "You shouldn't push yourself." He told her, giving his recommendation, but not an order. She just nodded, picking up her shoulder pads and belt. She then turned to him and he gestured to the wardrobe, guessing what she wanted. She opened it and found her sword, ignoring the rest of the contents.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir." She said, being sure to place that last word on the end. Until that 'Promised Day' came, she had to act every bit the second class SOLDIER that she was supposed to be. Offering the waiting General a quick salute, she headed for the door.

"Training tomorrow, normal time." Sephiroth told her, dismissing her.

* * *

The phone call came a complete surprise. It was 2am, the numbers reading easily from the glow clock that sat perilously perched on the edge of the bedside table. The insecent buzzing of the PHS caused a groan to come from the mound of blankets and pillows that was Emerald. "Damn it." She mumbled, along with some other obscenities she had learned from one Cid Highwind.

If Cloud ever found out she swore like that, she'd be beyond grounded. The man was a strange caregiver, not caring in the least if she got into fights with the older members of her 'family', but if she was caught uttering a single swear, there would be hell to pay, for both herself and Cid. And sometimes Barret too, if he was around.

A smile worked its way onto the young SOLDIER's face as she recalled Cloud threatening to literally throw Cid off his own ship. Man, he'd been angry. But that was probably because Marline and Denzel were using swears too…

The buzzing continued, drawing her from her half dreamed thoughts and she sighed, reaching for the phone and accidently knocking her clock off the bedside cabinet. Cussing again, she answered the phone, now in a not so good mood. She didn't even bother checking the caller ID, entirely forgetting where she was.

"What?" She asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"How do you have access the S-cells." Came the reply to her snappy question. Her eyes snapped open and widened as she listened to the unfamiliar voice. "Well?" came the impatient word.

"I- I was an exper-Wait a minute. How did you get this number? How can you even be sure that it's who you think it is?" She asked, sitting up. The blankets fell from her, causing the cold to hit her previously heated skin. Only the intense training she'd given herself allowed her to feel it, and she shivered a little, the act of normalcy natural to her now.

"I have a contact there." Short and to the point. "Now answer my question."

"I was experimented on. Given the cells at a young age, and haven't degraded at all, even given the triggers." She hadn't had time to figure out what she'd tell Genesis, should he ever try seeking her help, and due to it being early morning, her sleep muddled brain could come up with no lie. Again, half truths. Or rather, quarter truths. "Within me are pure S-cells. If you return, I can give you the treatments myself, I have been instructed how."

There was silence for a moment, before she heard a soft sound, not quite a sigh, but not quite anything else either. "Should I return," Genesis began, "I will be arrested for desertion."

"The degradation effected your mind and your ability to make choices." Emerald supplied, having thought this through before setting out to do what she needed to. "You had a short time of stability where a doctor in a small town helped you. You can't remember who that doctor was, but he gave you treatments that allowed you to be yourself again. That is the story we would tell." As far as anyone else knew, Emerald would have no part in this, whatsoever.

"As for the weekly meetings with me that would have to happen, I'm an old penpal, who came to Shin-Ra under your recommendation." She added, having thought most of this through passively, almost like a daydream.

Again, there was silence on the other end, as Genesis thought this through. "If I agree with you, you will hear of my arrival." He told her before hanging up.

Glancing down at her phone, Emerald sighed softly. Things were going to get interesting very soon. She could only hope that Genesis would return.

* * *

Two months after her promotion to Second Class, Emerald was sent on a small mission, a young infantryman accompanying her. The mission was simple, take out the monsters that had been threatening the Chocobo Ranch North West of Kalm. Their truck journey was to take them five hours, and she wasn't looking forward to spending that much time with a motion sick Cloud.

Or spending that much time with Cloud without giving herself away.

Two hours before she was to leave, Zack appeared at her door, dragging a reluctant looking Sephiroth with her. When she opened the door, her eyes widened to find the pair there. She'd only talked to Zack once since Wutai, and that had been cut short due to his being late for a meeting. And she rarely talked to her mentor, unless it was about battle tactics. She could only guess that was what this was.

Stepping back, she moved her left arm in a gesture that they should enter. "Uh…" She began, looking at the pair. Zack instantly went to her couch and spread out, looking very much at home. She'd been expecting that. Sephiroth, however, barely glanced at him, a slight narrowing of his eyes showed him glaring before he turned back to Emerald, looking as uncomfortable as Sephiroth ever looked.

His arms folded on his chest, his legs slightly apart and his back straight and tense, the General looked again at Zack before glancing at Emerald and back again.

This caused Zack to promptly burst into laughter. "You two look almost exactly the same!" He called out, pointing to the two of them. That was when Emerald noticed her stance. It was identical to the General's – and so was her expression. She knew she resembled the general a lot, but that couldn't be helped.

It was the reason she was glad her hair was a dark red, and only went down to her upper back. Right then, it was tied up in a loose braid, out of the way, but not painful to wear for long hours. It was how she would wear it if she was pottering around the house, as it was less complicated than the way she normally wore it.

The tiny, twin braids on the sides of her face took a good hour to get perfect, but the loose pigtails that cupped them only took a while because she had to get them exactly the right width, and leave exactly the right amount of hair for her bangs.

OCD was often time-consuming.

Her height was also another factor. While bother her parents had been tall, Emerald was not. She wasn't exactly short, but she was by no means the height that Sephiroth was. She came only up to his chest, a few centimetres shorter than his shoulders. She still had time to grow, but she didn't think she'd sprout up any time soon.

Her mind was returned to reality as she once again saw a hand flash before her eyes. Scowling at herself for losing focus, she shook her head clear and blinked, looking directly at those green eyes that were so similar to her own. There was a readable question in those shimmering silver-green orbs.

_Who are you?_

She gave a nervous smile, trying once again to hide her insecurities with Sephiroth around. He said something about her spacing out again, and she managed to look sheepish at that. "Sorry, sir. But…uh… To what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked, trying to be polite and gesturing around at both him and Zack.

The Lieutenant had stood, obviously concerned also as she had spaced out, but now, seeing that she was seemingly fine, he relaxed and grinned, moving into her personal space and pulling an arm around her shoulders.

Instantly, she had to fight panic, her revulsion about being touched brought to the forefront of her thoughts. She knew that Zack was just being friendly, and had even been warned that he was like this, but that didn't stop the fact that he was touching her. She was shuddering now, her temperature rising and her breath coming out in pants as she tried to prevent herself from lashing out at Zack, from forcibly removing him from her. Instead, she tried to squirm away, but he just tightened his grip, obviously thinking she was embarrassed or something.

He was talking, but she couldn't make out the words, the blood was rushing too fast by her ears as she struggled to control her bodily responses.

Dimly, she was aware that there was another voice joining Zack's, this one a little quieter and deeper, seemingly lacking emotions. Almost instantly, the hand was removed and she stumbled back, trying to focus again, breathing in and out slowly, causing her body to return to its normal functioning.

"Shit, sorry," Zack said sheepishly, a hand on the back of his neck. "Didn't realize you don't like to be touched." He said, throwing a look at the general. Obviously, Sephiroth had enlightened him to that fact.

She smiled a little shakily, trying to both comfort the older Second, as well as trying to comprehend the fact that it had been Sephiroth who had 'saved' her.

Shaking her head, she took a final deep breath before returning completely back to normal. "Sorry – why are you here? I have to go soon…" She looked at her watch, noting that it had been longer than she had thought. Half an hour had passed since Sephiroth and Zack had entered the room.

"Oh! Yeah! This is the first mission you'll be in command!" Zack bounced on his heels, every bit the puppy that Angeal had described him as.

Emerald just looked at him. This was nothing big… or, it might have been, if she hadn't have already lead small missions for Cloud before. But that was in her reality, her time. She supposed that it was a big event here, especially, it seemed, for Zack.

"It's no big." She said to him, a soft shrug on her shoulders. "It's just me and one Infantryman." She explained, "Going doing some hunting. They're only even sending the infantryman due to protocol." She told Zack, "There's nothing out there that's too dangerous, and I'm only in command of one man. Nothing to be all… Excited about." Still, the man wouldn't stop bouncing. She looked over to Sephiroth for advice, but the general wasn't paying much attention.

"How did you even know, anyway?" She asked, "I've talked to you, what, twice?" She asked, wondering why the hell Zack seemed interested now.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends!" A beaming Zack said to her, moving as if to put his arms around her, but pausing and dropping his hand as if remembering her distaste for contact. A brief flicker of disappointment read in his blue eyes before it was replaced with bubbly excitement. "And I found out, 'coz Seph told me!" He absently gestured to the General who was making a point to ignore them, looking out the window. "So we came to wish you good luck!"

Cocking her head to the side, Emerald nodded, finally understanding. Zack was trying to be nice to her, but he wasn't hitting on her, which was something that she'd been warned about. For that, she was glad. She smiled at him, and nodded. "Thank you," She said, honestly meaning it.

He nodded and finally, Sephiroth looked at her. "You will do fine." He told her, "But if you need help, be sure to call."

It took her a second to realize it, but Sephiroth seemed to be… worried about her. Frowning a little, she nodded, unsure of how to respond to that.

Looking at her clock again, she noticed that she had an hour left before she had to leave. "Would either of you like to have something to drink, I don't really have much..." She mumbled, heading into the kitchen, pottering about, looking for glasses or drinks. She was a little uncomfortable about the atmosphere around them, okay, _very_ uncomfortable, because they were comfortable.

She shouldn't be comfortable around Sephiroth.

But at least she knew that Zack liked her.

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

A/N: Okay… So sorry that this has taken so long. I have trouble keeping with one fandom at a time, I often get distracted and go onto other things. Thanks to my mind (which I'm sure has some form of ADHD), I am unable to concentrate on two fandoms at once. So recently I've been into FullMetal Alchemist…

Then my girlfriend stole my PSP, started playing Crisis Core, got confused, and asked me questions. Which got me playing again (much to her annoyance since we only have one psp (but two CC games, funnily enough).

Blame Trisana for me getting back into things.

Anyway, I'll be writing this for a while, but my computer isn't currently connected to my home server, so I dunno how often I'll be able to update. Only when I'm at Tris's. So it'll be sporadic at best.

I've also fixed a few errors in the earlier chapters, and hopefully when I post this, I'll remember to switch those too.

Thanks for keeping with me.

Review please? Fill my inbox for when I get back online, and you might inspire me to visit my girl more often xD


	5. Ripples Form on the Waters Surface

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 4 – Ripples Form on the Waters Surface ---___--- ---___--- ---___----

_Ripples form on the Waters Surface, the wandering soul knows no rest. _

Four hours, three minutes, and nine seconds. That's how long Emerald had been in that truck for. Four hours, one minute and seventeen seconds, is how long the young infantryman had been leaning over the side for.

The young SOLDIER had been trying hard not to let her subordinate's weak stomach get the better of her, but the vile smell that rose every time he made the disguising sound caused her stomach to roll too. Still, it couldn't be helped. Too bad he wouldn't be cured of it this time around. If she got her way, Zack and Cloud would never have to go through with what they had, and Cloud would be free to live a normal life.

"You okay there, Cloud?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat to move closer to him. Her nose protested, but she ignored it in favour of offering comfort to her sick friend. A small nod was all she got in return before the young man found himself dry retching over the side.

"Nearly there now," Emerald didn't particularly mind the quiet, so she didn't break the silence too often. However, she had remembered what Cloud had told her about his youth, of how he had hated silence around his superiors. It had made him feel inadequate, or something like that, so she tried to speak to him as often as she could.

Moving back to her seat, she stretched and sighed a little. Not long left now, then they'd be at the ranch. "If you don't tell anyone back home, I'll let you sit tonight out." She told the green man. "You don't look well, and I can take care of myself," She gently patted the long sword that was resting on the floor beside her seat.

Cloud just shook his head, "It's against protocol, sir." He mumbled weakly, "I have to come with you. But I'll be alright."

Sighing softly, Emerald sat up. It was just too strange. "Call me Emerald." She told him. "Or Em for short." She shrugged, offering him a small smile. She was trying to channel Zack, do what he would do in her position, and comfort the man. If an offering of friendship was what it took, an offering of friendship is what he'd have.

The infantryman gave her a shaky smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden paleness came over him and he turned to the side of the truck again, ready to retch some more.

Sighing softly, Emerald closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sounds that Cloud was making.

* * *

They arrived at their destination, just as the sun was setting, the red and orange lights casting a slight pink tinge on the calm fields. The monsters, it seemed, were ignoring the ranch for now. There were small grooves in the ground indicating that it had not always been so.

As soon as the truck came to a stop, Emerald jumped out, offering a small smile to Cloud on the way, and instructions for him to just relax for a moment or two before following her.

Then, she reported to the owners of the ranch. A rather odd couple, but both happy to have the SOLDIER there. As it was expected for the mission to last only two or so days, they had been given lodgings with the birds. This didn't bother Emerald, and she could only hope that Cloud was alright with that too – it sure beat travelling from Kalm to the ranch every day.

As it turned out, Cloud was fine with sleeping in the stables. There had been two beds dragged into palace at the back of the building, ready for the two Shin-Ra employees, and they weren't uncomfortable.

After telling Cloud that he could rest for the night, and promising that she wouldn't go against protocol and fight the monsters, Emerald found herself walking around the ranch, stretching her legs.

She took her time, walking the perimeter twice, keeping a watchful eye out for any monsters coming close, and finding none, she moved to pen, looking at the large creatures and smiling softly.

Petting one, she leaned close and sighed quietly, "Y'know… I kind of miss my bird." She said quietly, "Took me a long time to get him. The others insisted that I bread him myself. But it was worth it." She smiled as the bird nuzzled her hand, the yellow feathers tickling her somewhat.

"I've always had a fondness for Chocobo's I guess." She continued, finding it soothing to talk to the animal as it continued to touch her affectionately. "Have you ever seen a golden one before? My bird was gold…" Closeing her eyes, she let herself relax and told the Chocobo about hers, treating it as if it could understand her. "His name was Boubou. That's what happens when you tell a five year old to name a bird." She added with a laugh. "I named him before he was even born. I was told that's what you're supposed to do. But I guess I never understood, since I was four when I was named…" Still petting the chocobo, she sighed softly.

"Yeah- I definitely miss good-ol' Boubou."

* * *

The mission went well, Emerald defeating nearly all the monsters that were around. Cloud got a few lucky shots in too, killing a couple of the wolf-like animals that threatened him. They worked well together, Emerald used to reading his moves.

Their trip back was delayed a little, the driver having to go slowly due to rain slicked roads, causing the five hour journey to last more like seven. Needless to say, Emerald was exhausted by the time she returned to her room.

She longed for a nice warm bath, scrub all the dirt off her and fall asleep in her undersized bed. However, to do any of that without embarrassment, she had to be alone, which, when she made it back to her room, she realized she was not.

Stood by her door, looking as though he'd been waiting a long while, was Sephiroth. She stopped and saluted him when she got close enough, relaxing only when gestured to. A confused expression was on her face, but she opened her door and silently invited her superior in anyway.

He came in and closed the door behind him, regarding her with a semi-serious expression. "Congratulations on the mission." He said to her, his voice sounding rehearsed. Emerald would bet a years pay he said that to a lot of SOLDIER's. She just nodded and sat on her couch, sighing softly in relief as her ankles stopped complaining so much.

Following her example, Sephiroth moved further into the room, but refrained from sitting, instead just stood, still looking uncomfortable.

"Please sir," She said quietly, "Make yourself at home." She was just too tired to care that she was before Seprhioth now. Her guard was being let down, slowly, but never completely gone.

A brief hesitation crossed over the General's face, before he took a seat, still looking at Emerald. "You have not reported for any Mako injections." He told her, straight to business. "There are records of you having them, but neither scientist can recall your face." Obviously, he wanted an explanation.

Standing again, Emerald looked at Sephiroth before taking a deep breath. "As you can no doubt appreciate," She began, "I'm not overly fond of the labs. I have a friend who works there, who will not be named. He supplies me with mako." She moved to the draws and pulled one open. She then removed the false bottom and pulled a syringe from inside. Within the syringe was pure mako.

"There's enough left in there for three more shots." She told him, "I've been administering my own."

Sephiroth stood and moved towards her, taking the syringe from her hand. "Do you have permission to do this?" He asked, his voice tight and emotionless, causing Emerald to believe that he was holding back emotion and letting logic take over. She nodded once, glad that they had thought this through before she had come.

"I refuse to spend any time in the labs." She told the man, "I was born into the care of a scientist." Her eyes were defiant now, the green sparkling brighter, warning of her mood. She wasn't very happy right then.

Sephiroth nodded, gently handing her the syringe back. "I can understand that. However, it would be wise to have somebody around when you administer these injections." He told her. She nodded before putting the medical equipment away and sitting again.

"I do." She told him. It was a lie. She didn't need to have mako injections all that often, only if injured or pushed beyond her limits. Thanks to her unique birth, she had never once had mako withdrawal. Something that had caused a slight jealousy in Cloud – who had been through it twice.

"My foster father went through withdrawal twice." She told him quietly, "I know the consequences of missing a dose."

He nodded at that, seemingly pacified. "There will be a small investigation into your claim of permission, that is all." He told her, heading to the door. He paused before leaving, however. "Will you be well for training tomorrow?"

Nodding, Emerald threw Sephiroth a small smile.

She was beginning to realize that he might not have been that bad before the insanity. Sephiroth seemed like a decent man at this point in time, if not a little distant. She realized that he had probably never had any friends.

Aside from Zack, Angeal, and Genesis, of course.

* * *

Two am. What was so important about that time, that she must be woken for it? First, Genesis had called, then, Cloud had woke her for her watch (okay, so she'd _asked_ for that one), then monsters attacked, and now - now there were sirens going off.

Groaning, she sat up and clutched her head. Sighing softly, she quickly got dressed, finding no need to turn the light on. Scrambling from her room, she allowed her piercing green eyes to scan the corridor. Nobody else seemed to have been woken, since the hall was empty. The elevator was waiting for her when she got to it, and she clambered inside before realizing she had no idea what was going on. Pressing the button that would take her to the SOLDIER floor, she waited.

Since there were so many SOLDIER's, they had moved the sleeping quarters from floor 49, to floor 42, leaving the common area's such as the VR room and the Materia room on the 49th floor. Since there wasn't much space between the two floors, the elevator ride was short, allowing Emerald little time to prepare. She rushed to the briefing room, realizing that someone would tell her what was going on there.

However, she didn't quite make it.

"As I said," A poetic voice said from behind her, as she passed the common seating area. Quickly, she turned around, ready to draw her weapon if need be. She relaxed a little when her eyes met the shimmering blue eyes belonging to none other than Genesis.

"Do you enjoy waking me at 2am?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

A small, mischievous smile came across Genesis's beautiful features and he stepped forward. "_All that awaits you is a sombre morrow_." He quoted, causing the younger SOLDIER to roll her eyes.

"I gotta report you." She told him, waiting until he nodded before picking up her phone.

The call to Sephiroth was short, he patched her through to the person she needed to talk to, and that conversation was a little longer. She had no idea who it was she had even spoken to, but her orders had been clear enough.

Take Genesis to the holding area for further interrogation.

After repeating her orders to Genesis, the former First Class nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way. Of course, Emerald knew that he would know the way himself, but it seemed like something he would do, so she complied, being sure to keep her senses on the male.

He glided quietly into the room he was assigned and looked at her again, "You do seem familiar." He told her, staring into her eyes. "Your eyes." He added with a nod, "They look like his, yet the shape is Banoran."

Swallowing thickly, Emerald just shrugged, smiling at him. "Well, I dunno who my parents are," A full on lie, "But it's my guess one of 'em must be from Banora." With that, she looked at the door, then apologetically at the man within the room. "Remember, I know nothing." She told him, "Only what you have heard me say on the phone."

He nodded once, and she closed the door, aware that there was someone else heading towards them.

* * *

It turned out, that Genesis had to remain within that cell for six months. Throughout that time, Emerald pretended to visit him, using the syringe she had shown Sephiroth earlier to administer the antidote for Genesis. She had explained to him how the syringe contained mako from her own blood, along with the normal stuff you found in the labs. She told him that, while her cells weren't as plentiful as Sephiroth's, they were just as whole.

Meaning that he would need more injections from her, but the end result would be the same.

* * *

"You need to raise your right hand a little, or you may lose a finger." The instruction came after one sword clashed with another. Emerald was holding hers up, her right fist clenched and the flat of her sword resting on her wrist. It was a basic block, designed to prevent a downward attack, which Sephiroth had previously thrown at her.

She adjusted her grip slightly, sliding her right arm up a little, while still managing to keep Sephiroth at bay. The silver haired man looked down at her, a slight upturn to his lips.

Slowly, over the last few months, Emerald had been becoming less wary of Sephiroth. She began to let her barriers down, believing what Cloud had told her.

He was completely different before Nibelheim. He seemed… almost human.

He pulled back, Emerald instantly springing back also, jumping slightly and lowering her sword to her left. Keeping a close eye on Sephiroth, ready for his next move, she stood, relaxed as he had shown her.

It was becoming easier to read his movements as she grew to know him more. They had only ever talked during training, and rarely did it move from battle tactics, but on those rare occasions it did, they spoke of mundane things, such as the weather, or politics.

It was as though they couldn't find anything in common.

But something told Emerald it was time for her to lay some more trust in this man. He had yet to betray her, in fact, he seemed to care somewhat for her wellbeing, even if it was only that of a master for his pupil.

"You're distracted again," Sephiroth remarked, placing his weapon in its sheath. This signalled the end of class.

Blinking, Emerald sighed softly and nodded. Perhaps telling him was the best course of action. Maybe if she trusted him, he would trust her when the time came.

"Can I speak with you." She asked quietly, "Off the record, not as your student…" She raised her eyes, locking with his identical ones. "But as a friend…" Those words were quiet, but they had the meaning behind them. True, she didn't quite count the man on her friends list, but if he accepted her as his friend, that could change.

After a brief pause, where his eyes became slightly wider and he seemed to swallow in shock, he nodded, looking around for a moment. "Perhaps somewhere more private." He offered, gesturing to the door.

Nodding, Emerald moved, followed by Sephiroth. As she moved, she placed her weapon away, dimly aware that both of them were sweating.

"Sir, could we clean up first?" She asked, gesturing to her sweat-soaked singlet.

Raising an eyebrow, Sephiroth gave a half smile, "Are you insinuating that I am odorous, SOLDIER?" He asked, and it took a moment for Emerald to realize.

Sephiroth had just tried to make a joke. A _joke_!

She couldn't help it, she smiled, then laughed, shaking her head, "No sir." She told him, "I just don't like being unclean. A result of my upbringing, I'm sure." She told him, "It's why I don't like to be touched." She added, "I know that for sure."

He nodded, "Alright. Shower and change. Come to my room when you are ready." He told her, and she nodded, knowing that this was going to be a long conversation.

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

A/N: Sorry this is so short. I kind of want the conversation to be on its own in a chapter. This is probably real crap too – I wrote it at like 2am (I dunno what's with that time…it used to be 3am when I got the urge to write. I must be getting old x.x).

Again with the internet thing – I won't be online much to post.

As for Sephiroth's joke… I didn't think he'd be one to say "Are you saying I stink?" So I made it sound… more Sephirothy… xD


	6. Gift of the Goddess

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 5 – Gift of the Goddess---___--- ---___--- ---___----

_Infinite in mystery, is the gift of the goddess. _

Darkness was drawing near when Emerald finally knocked on the door. She shuffled nervously from foot to foot, adjusting the package that she was carrying from hand to hand. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go through with this, to tell Sephiroth this was to change everything.

But no longer could she just sit and wait, no. She couldn't go through with the assassination. There had to be another way. And she was going to find it.

The door opened and she was let in. Like the last time she had been within these rooms, they were neat and perfect, not a single thing out of place. She nervously handed the general what she had been carrying. It was a peace offering of savoury snacks, something they could share while she spoke.

With a raised eyebrow, Sephiroth took it and placed it on the table in the sitting room. That was when she noticed something.

Like Emerald, Sephiroth had showered, but unlike Emerald, he had opted not to wear his uniform. Instead, he was wearing some loose fitting black slacks and a dark gray tank top. She suddenly felt overdressed. Sitting on the couch, she turned to face the general.

"What I have to say, you probably won't believe. If you want to think me crazy, feel free – I often do." She told him, "But know that all I say is true. And speak of it to no-one. Please."

She waited for him to sit and nod before continuing.

"I- Um…" She wasn't quite sure where to start, "I'm gonna tell you things about me, that nobody else knows right now." She added quietly, "But it's been bugging me… you should know. You have a right to know."

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked, obviously a little curious as to why he had the _right_ to know.

"Uh…well… You'll see, when you hear it. If you believe it." She sighed and fidgeted in the seat a little.

"Well… I guess I should start at the beginning… Um… Yeah… Well… I was born in a lab… Actually, wait…" She paused for a second, "The beginning is before that." She said quietly, looking directly at the general.

"I was created. Made entirely by science… by Hojo." She shuddered a little at that name, and Sephiroth just continued to watch her. "Hojo wanted to know if it was possible to create a human, and he wanted to further push the boundaries of science by creating one from two male samples." She swallowed before carrying on, her hands nervously playing with each other as she told her story.

"It worked – eventually. There were four before me, none of them survived… All of them were boys. Then there was me. I… I survived longer than all the others. As a foetus, Hojo had injected mako and …other things into me. Because of that, when I was born, I was already mako enhanced. For the first four years of my life, I lived under Hojo's 'care'." She couldn't help the bitterness that came over her voice as she said that last word.

Sephiroth knew first hand how little Hojo really cared for his creations. "Everyday, I was subjected to more and more tests. As soon as I could talk, I was taught anything and everything, given no free time to act as a child should. When I wasn't in lessons, I was strapped to a dirty table, or… or I was being held tightly while Hojo did one thing or another to me."

A sting caught the corner of her eyes, and she was a little embarrassed to realize that she was on the verge of tears. At some point during her narrative, she had pulled her legs up to her chest. It wasn't the words she was saying that was causing this reaction, but rather the memories that this was bringing up.

She was spacing out again, but this time, when she became aware again, it was because of a glass of water that had appeared in front of her. Sephiroth was obviously trying to be comforting. She gratefully took the glass and downed it before carrying on. "Some of the things he did to me in there… I'll never forget. Since coming here, I haven't had to have a single Mako shot – do you know why that is?" She asked, rhetorically, "My blood is nearly eighty-nine percent mako." She spoke quietly. "It was high when I was born, but Hojo kept pumping me with more and more."

She looked up and saw Sephiroth frown a little. His mako blood level was around the same, if not a little higher. But he had only been exposed to it after the age of five, for fear of stunting his development.

"When I could understand, he took great pride in explaining to me what I am – less than human. But I always irritated him, pointing out that I had two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears, two arms and two legs, therefore, I was human." She smiled a little at that, "I was too young to understand what he was insinuating." Curling closer to herself, she took a breath before continuing.

"Just before I turned five, I was found. The man that found me took care of me. Until then, I didn't have a name. I was known only as 'Project E'. When I told him about that, he told me I needed a name, and helped me choose one." She smiled softly then, her earliest happy memory playing in her mind of Cloud smiling at her and trying to convince her that she needed to choose a name.

"He told me the colour of my eyes was called Emerald, and I thought that would work." She wiped her tears away and carried on speaking. "He took good care of me. He let me have a semi-normal life. But because of what had happened to the planet before that, he couldn't give me as much as he wanted to – he had to work to help all of us. He ran an orphanage, helping the children after the disaster…

"From the age of eight, he taught me how to defend myself. He used a broad sword, and I tried using one too, but I couldn't lift it. Even with the mako in my blood, I was simply too small. So he took me shopping – he told me I could have any weapon I chose, and I felt drawn to a masamune. He had it shortened for me, and I learned how to use it from then.

"A few years after the disaster, I told him I wished that I could do something to stop it. It took him a while, but eventually, he found a way.

"A friend of his was an ancient, but she'd died just before the disaster. He said that he could still talk to her sometimes, but only in the special place. He waited there, for days on end, just wishing for her to come to him. The planet let her talk to him again, and they found a way. They made a materia orb for me… And it brought me to Wutai…

"It sent me back in time, seventeen years. One year before the catalyst for the disaster."

She looked at Sephiroth, as if to gauge his reaction to this.

He didn't seem to believe her. And she couldn't blame him. Everything up until the explanation of time travel had been believable. But now… now she realized that she was asking a lot for him to believe this. "I know- It's not plausible, but it happened…" She finished lamely.

Sephiroth was silent for a while before he spoke, his mind processing this information.

"Why is it," he asked, "That you believe I have a right to know this?" He asked quietly.

Swallowing thickly, Emerald bowed her head and spoke. "Because one of the two men who's DNA was used to create me, was you." She said quietly.

Again, silence fell, and all Emerald could wonder was weather Sephiroth would believe her, or have her sent to the nearest mental institute.

But then, "So what you are essentially telling me…" he said quietly, "Is that you are my fifteen year old daughter, who hasn't been born yet – and whom I had with another man." The words were emotionless, and had anyone else said them like that, they may have been mocking. But Sephiroth was far from mocking. He was asking for a confirmation of the facts.

She just nodded. "Y-you can have a paternity test if you like." She said quietly, "I'm sure that it would prove to you that I am no liar."

Sephiroth shook his head and looked at her, "Look at me," he demanded softly, and she did. When his eyes locked with hers, she understood why he believed her.

Their eyes were the same.

"Do you know who your other… father is?" Sephiroth asked, and Emerald bowed her head again.

"It's one of those things I'm not sure about. Hojo mentioned him once or twice, but I can't recall the name." She lied. Okay, fine, she knew who her other father was, but she had no idea what the consequences of Sephiroth finding that out were.

A single nod was all she got for that sentence and Sephiroth stood moving towards her. "This is a lot of information to process." He told her calmly. "Since it is already passed cerfew, and you are quite upset, it would probably be for the best if you were to rest. The spare room is once again yours to use." He offered, gesturing to his right, where Emerald remembered the room she had stayed in once before lay. "My room is on the other side of this one," he told her, gesturing this time, to his left, "Should you need me, I will be within, but if it is nothing urgent, please knock. I… dislike to be disturbed."

Nodding, Emerald stood and there was a moment of awkward silence where they stared at each other, neither sure of what they should be doing now, of how to conduct themselves around each other.

"Good night then, General." Emerald bid.

"Perhaps… General is a little formal…" Sephiroth began, "Considering the circumstances." He seemed a little nervous there, as if he wasn't quite sure what to suggest she call him in return.

"I doubt that calling you father would be a good idea." Emerald told him with a soft smile, "People will begin to talk, and rumours would fly. It would also be difficult to explain the age difference of ten years…" He nodded in agreement, and Emerald was quiet for a moment before Sephiroth spoke.

"Sephiroth it is then." He said quietly before nodding at her. "Good night SOL- Emerald." He caught himself, realizing that it wouldn't be fair of him to continue calling her SOLDIER now he knew…

* * *

Emerald didn't get much sleep that night. Her mind was too concerned over the fact that, now Sephiroth knew her past, he couldn't un-know it. He would always know that he was her father – in the sense that his genetic code made up half of hers. Nothing would be the same between them.

Emerald was glad of her resolve to find another way to prevent Nibelheim. She refused to kill Sephiroth unless it was absolutely necessary. With that decision in mind, Emerald allowed herself to relax. What was it that Cid was always trying to get her to understand? Ah, that's right.

_Live in the here and now. Not the tomorrow and yesterday._

Cid's voice rang in her mind, and she eventually managed to get some sleep.

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

A/N: Again, this was short – but because I wanted to get it all done in one.

I bet you can all guess who the other father is, but Sephiroth is dense. Completely and utterly.

There should be a little romance on the way, but it won't be much. This story _is_ a Genesis/Sephiroth story, but it's more about Emerald and Sephiroth, and their relationship, how it develops and what happens at Nibelheim. Now that Gen is back, however, it will go differently from the game.


	7. She Guides us to Bliss

_A/N: Okay, sorry that I took a while to get to this point, but here are the beginnings of the romance! Don't worry, it's not got anything to do with Emerald – rather, Genesis and Sephiroth – finally. It's not going to happen all in one chapter, and I barely have a plan of how it's going to end up, but here's sthe beginnings. If you have anything you want to see, then you can review and put it in. Within the next few chapters may have a homage to Demyx Time, and if you notice that, then you'll get a vertual cookie xD_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___--- ---___---_

_---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter 6 –She Guides us to Bliss ---___--- ---___--- ---___----_

_When the war of the beasts brings about the worlds end, _

_The goddess descends from the sky._

_Wings of light and dark spread afar,_

_She guides us to bliss,_

_Her gift everlasting._

"So…" The voice was obnoxiously loud in the oppressive silence that had fallen. "This is a quarantine room…" Another noise accompanied the voice, the thick sound of sure footsteps. They grew louder as they came closer, the sound bouncing off walls and echoing softly. They stopped abruptly as their owner sat on the bunk beside the current occupant.

Azure eyes peered at him from above a book, the broken brown cover cracking as the volume was lowered. It came as no surprise that the cover read a single word, embossed over the surface, standing tall as if taking pride in it's fact. _'Loveless'_. The novel was worn at the edges, but mostly in good condition – obviously it was a beloved book.

Flicking auburn locks from his face, Genesis looked at Sephiroth, a small smile on his face. "I'm not supposed to have visitors." The amused tones of the other spoke what he had expected, even if the words themselves were contradictory. He sat up, moving from his reclined position to casually sprawl beside his friend. "They may kick you out."

"I would like to see their attempt." Sephiroth said with a small smile. "I have missed your company." He told the other before silence once again lapsed.

After a while, Genesis sighed softly and leaned further back against the wall, his movements bringing him closer to Sephiroth. He was aware of the emotions that must have plagued Sephiroth, betrayal being high among them. Genesis had left without a word, refusing any requests made to him to return. Of everyone, Sephiroth was the only one to bother trying more than once.

"You know… I had my reasons for leaving…" He said quietly, "But none of them were because of you." He was staring directly ahead, but he could feel the piercing green gaze as it attached itself to the side of his face. "I'm sorry I had to go like that." It was hard for him to admit that, he usually preferred to ignore his mistakes, cover them up in verse and prose, but he knew this one would have to slip past him. He respected Sephiroth enough to give him this.

Turning his head to the side, Genesis regarded Sephiroth for a moment before smiling softly. The young general was looking at the floor, his long bangs covering his face as he paused, keeping his emotions in check. He knew how hard it must have been for Sephiroth to be abandoned like that, by the first person who he had dared call a friend.

Lowering his own gaze, Genesis flipped the hair from his face and smiled softly.

After a while, Sephiroth nodded once and stood, moving to the door before turning half way. His eyes didn't meet Genesis's, but it was obvious his words were directed to the other man.

"Whatever it was that made you come back, don't let it stop." He said quietly, "It's …nice… to have you home."

With that, Sephiroth left, leaving Genesis to gape after him. He'd known Sephiroth for years, working alongside him for many of them, but he'd never, _ever_ heard Sephiroth refer to anywhere as 'home'.

* * *

"Keep your eyes on mine." Sephiroth instructed, "But be aware of your surroundings. Always." There was a quick movement and Emerald brought her weapon up just in time to prevent her head from being removed. When a few strands of reddish-brown fell to the ground, she started. Her silver-green eyes widened a little and she jumped back, avoiding the next swing.

At the beginning of their sparring match, she had insisted that Sephiroth stop holding back, and now she was beginning to regret it. She knew that he would stop short of killing her, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of what he could do.

Since her explanations the night before, they had yet to talk. This was the first time they'd seen each other, Sephiroth having already been gone when Emerald woke. He had left her a note, explaining that he had something that needed his attention, and that she was to make herself welcome, as before.

She had stared blankly at the note before showering and heading to her morning duties.

As per usual, they had met at 9am to spar.

During the months that she had been training with Sephiroth, her skill had increased at least ten fold, her speed having been one of the first things to improve. After one final swing, Sephiroth pulled back, a slight smile on his face. "That is enough for today." He told her, sheathing his weapon.

Mirroring his action, she stood and put her blade away, facing him and giving a small bow. She stayed silent, unsure of exactly where they stood now that he knew of their genetic link. It seemed that he felt uncomfortable too, for they spent several moments in silence, walking back towards Sephiroth's room before he sighed.

"Emerald." He began, once again addressing her with her given name. Turning to face her, he stopped, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her too, before letting it drop. "You are welcome in my apartment, any time." He told her. "Though you may not agree, I feel that I have some sort of … responsibility towards you. You are… family. Something I have never had, and I wish to do right by you."

Emerald watched Sephiroth, listened to his words, but couldn't stop her eyes from getting wide. He was… he wanted to treat her like a …daughter. This was _not_ the Sephiroth that she had heard of, not the man who tried to destroy the world, who Cloud had been forced to kill no less than three times.

No. This man was compassionate, emotional… human.

"General…" She began, but stopped when he shook his head.

"Unless it is a matter of business, please, my name is Sephiroth." He told her, once again moving. "The room you have been staying in, it is yours now. Do with it as you please. I will issue you with an access card so I do not have to be in for you to be." He did seem a little uncomfortable, Emerald could see that, but he was making an attempt.

It struck her that he wanted to know her, to treat her like family. He actually wanted to care.

"Sephiroth, then." She said with a small nod, "You don't have to do this. I only told you because I thought you had a right to know. I didn't want you to feel obliged-"

"You are my daughter." Sephiroth cut in, "No matter how you came to be, you are my daughter, and I will treat you as such. While you are correct in the fact that to do so openly would warrant more questions than could be answered, it is not uncommon for a SOLDIER to act favourably towards their student." He glanced down at her again, a small smile on his face.

"You can remain in the room you are in now, if you so choose, but you are welcome by my side, any time."

By this time, they had made it to Sephiroth's rooms, and he unlocked the door, gesturing for her to go inside. Once they were in, he sighed softly, the days events catching up to him. It was nearing midday, but he had been active since four, visiting Genesis before doing his work. He was finished for the day, and hungry.

Emerald, still a little overwhelmed with the weight of Sephiroth's words, moved to the oversized bathroom – her bathroom – to shower. When she came back out, Sephiroth was reclined on the sofa, fast asleep.

It was the most vulnerable that she had ever seen him, and she took a moment to just watch him. Never had she thought she'd be stood beside a sleeping Sephiroth. When Cloud had told her the stories of what had happened, of meteorfall and what came just before, she had thought of Sephiroth as something other than human. After learning exactly how Sephiroth had come to be, she had believed that he definitely wasn't human.

But now, watching him shuffle slightly in his sleep, she realized that it mattered not where your genetics come from, or how you were brought up. What made you human, were your actions and the way you responded to things, how you treated people.

The Sephiroth that was there, right then, was far from inhuman. He may have been strange, but his humanity was most definitely intact.

So what happened to change that?

She really didn't think that it was just the knowledge of where he came from. She had come from similar backgrounds and subjected to the same treatment as Sephiroth had as a child. She knew of her "grandmother", and it hadn't sent her insane like it supposedly had her father. So what was it? Had JENOVA had something more to do with it? Had she controlled Sephiroth, as Sephiroth had controlled Cloud in turn?

Emerald didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't kill Sephiroth.

"Forgive me Cloud," She whispered, careful not to wake Sephiroth. She moved to her room and pulled one of her many blankets off her new bed. Carrying it to the living room, she gently draped it over Sephiroth before leaving the room, pausing only to glance behind her one more time.

* * *

Clouds had gathered over Midgar, their dark masses crowding around each other to form a blanket of gray above the surface of the planet, effectively blocking all light to the city. It was bad enough above the plate, but below, where the helpless and the poor were doomed to reside, it was as dark as night.

Wandering the streets on a bright day was dangerous enough, with monsters and muggers both prowling the walkways, looking for any victim that could fall folly to them, but on a day such as this one, it was almost impossible to get from one place to another without being threatened in some way.

Or at least, that's how it was for the people from above the plate.

As Emerald made her way through the rotting mounds of things she'd rather not have to name, she was approached six times, twice by muggers and four times by monsters. It was getting ridiculous. She was in full uniform, which caused the muggers to believe she was worth something (but she wasn't stupid enough to bring her wallet with her), and the mako in her blood system seemed to attract monsters.

So hectic was her journey, that it was a relief to be able to relax once she reached the church. Moving to sit by the flowers, she sighed and relaxed, allowing her shoulders to drop and her eyes to close. It was peaceful there.

She sat like that for a while, not really noticing the passing of time, just letting the smell from the flowers wash over her, the scent reminding her of home. Her thoughts of nothing in particular, however, were interrupted when she heard a soft 'thunk'. Thinking that Aerith must be back from wherever she had been, Emerald opened her eyes and smiled, looking around the old building for the woman she had met so long ago, but there was no one. Frowning, she sighed and turned her attention to the flowers, wondering what could have made that noise.

After an undesirable amount of time, she stood, ready to move on with her day. She felt a lot more at ease and just a little less home sick than before.

* * *

Night rapidly closed in on the city, the previously darkened sky a pitch black as lights came on. Shin-Ra was doing it's job, providing power for the disk city and making lives 'better' by taking the planet's life force and draining it, using it for their own profit. It was a sickening thought, to anyone who cared, that the souls of those lost were circling in lightbulbs and computer screens, their resting place ruined and their eventual rebirth prevented.

There were those who believed that, and then there were those that _really_ believed that. The people who belonged to the second group, were once again categorised into two sections, those that cared but sat idily by, or gave peaceful protests, and those that believed Shin-Ra needed to be stopped.

Whatever the cost.

Among these people was an even smaller group of people that would gladly pay those costs, if it resulted in the planet being satisfied, of the lifestream being healed. These people were extremists, terrorists, if you asked some. But they didn't care for titles, all they wanted was for something to be done. It was this lust for action that began the planning that would so change the future of the world.

On this dark, cloudy night, something began.

* * *

It was dark. Darker than it should've been. The clouds were obstructing the view of, what should have been a very bright full moon. But no, the night had to be completely dark when Emerald returned to her room. She hated the dark, it reminded her too much of the past she'd tried so hard to forget.

Shuffling into her tiny room, she looked around and shuddered. The darkness never seemed so complete than when she was alone. Looking around, her mako enhanced eyes noticed everything, it was exactly how she'd left it, but for some reason, it felt wrong.

Maybe seeking out company wouldn't be a bad idea. Moving to her closet, she grabbed some clean clothes and threw them into a bag before heading out again, making her way up to Sephiroth's room. He'd said she was welcome any time, right?

She realized, seconds after she'd knocked on the door, that it was well past midnight, and that the silver general might not appreciate such a late night call… but then, it was too dark. She wasn't fond of the dark.

Less than thirty seconds after she knocked, the door opened to reveal a rather irritated looking Sephiroth. The frown died as soon as he saw her, and he moved aside to let her in.

"Sorry for calling in so late…" She said quietly, swallowing a little and trying not to appear afraid. Not only was it dark, but Sephiroth was probably pissed at being woken up.

The door closed, shutting out what little illumination the corridor had provided. As soon as that was gone, Emerald felt frozen. The darkness was whole. No lights shone in from the window, and there was nothing on in the room, only when a soft click sounded, and the overhead light came on, did Emerald relax a little.

"It's fine." Sephiroth told her, moving to the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?" He pulled out two glasses and started pouring milk, seemingly regardless of what her answer would be. She took the glass when it offered and smiled softly, not feeling the need to explain about her lactose intolerance. She sipped at the creamy white substance, but didn't allow herself to retain too much.

"What's wrong?" The words took her by surprise. She hadn't been expecting Sephiroth to notice that something was bothering her – but then again, she did turn up at his doorstep at… quarter to three. Was it really that late?

She smiled bashfully and looked down, placing her glass on the bench so that she could play with her hands. "It's the dark." She said at long last, not lifting her head to make eye contact. "I don't like it." The words were quiet, a soft utterance of fear. "It… reminds me of too much and I always feel so alone… I just… I didn't want to be alone."

Silence reigned for a second before she was startled by the feeling of a cool hand on her shoulder. Finally, she raised her head and looked at Sephiroth. He was stood close to her now, looking a little uncomfortable but determined. "You are welcome here any time." He told her, "And I will keep you company for as long as you should need it. Now, shall we sit?"

Nodding once, Emerald allowed Sephiroth to lead her to the sitting area, looking at the ground as she sat. To say that she was embarrassed about being afraid of the dark would be an understatement. And here she was, crawling to _Sephiroth_ of all people for help.

They sat in silence for a while, Emerald not wishing to disturb any thoughts Sephiroth was having, and Sephiroth just unable to come up with anything to say. The minutes turned to hours, and finally, Sephiroth felt the need to break the silence. Lifting his head, he looked at Emerald, only to find that she had curled up around one of his cussions and fallen asleep. A soft smile found its way onto his face, and he moved to stand beside where she was lay. After a moment, he decided on a course of action and lifted her gently into his arms.

Her room was only a few feet away, and he managed to get her there without disturbing her slumber. As carefully as he could, pulled off her boots and combat gear, leaving her in her shirt and trousers (and of course socks), and bundled her up in the blankets. He watched as his daughter snuggled into the soft matters and sighed in contentment.

Moving to the corner of the room, he found something he would consider quite useful in this situation. It had been left over from a small gathering Genesis had insisted they had, back when he and Sephiroth were third class. The party had been for his eighteenth birthday, and as a gag gift, Genesis had given him a chocobo shaped nightlight. Thinking nothing of it, Sephiroth had thrown it in a draw in the spare room.

Now, he retrieved it and plugged it in, hoping that it would help sooth the young woman that now held a place in his home.

"Sleep well." He whispered, leaving the room and closing the door, allowing the small green light to do its job and cover the room in a gentle glow.

* * *

"Twice in as many days, why, I do feel honoured." The slightly sarcastic tones of a melodious voice echoed in the darkened room, resulting in a small smirk from the new occupant. Blue eyes glowed slightly in the dimness, and they noticed the pallor of the newest addition to the room. "Man, you look exhausted."

The comment earned a slight sigh and nod as Sephiroth walked further into the room and sat beside the redhead. Leaning against the wall, he allowed his eyes to close, relishing in the peace being with his friend brought him.

"Something wake you?" Genesis asked, sitting up and then beside the other. His eyes never left Sephiroth's face, and anyone who was there could have felt the concern radiating from him. His words only earned another nod, to which Genesis sighed. He knew what Sephiroth was like when he woke, he couldn't sleep again for several hours – and by the time that was up, he would be hard at work.

"You came to see me early, then you probably didn't get to bed 'til late, so I'm guessing in the last twenty four hours, you've slept only about two." Again, a nod. "You need to start taking better care of yourself." A slight nod came from the redhead as he settled in in his new position. "So, you going to stay in silence for the rest of the day, or are you going to talk to me." A shrug of the shoulders caused the Banoran to sigh. It was then that he noticed the small smirk playing at Sephiroth's lips. "You just love to bug me. Well. If you're only here to listen to me, I may as well recite some poetry…" He had hoped that the threat would cause Sephiroth to speak, but the man barely reacted. The only difference was the fact that the smirk was now more of a gentle smile.

Allowing a smile himself, Genesis nodded once and began. "_'When the war of the beasts, brings about the worlds end, the goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting...'"_

Half way through the third act, Genesis felt a small weight on his shoulder. Turning his head, a bewildered expression on his face, looked to see what had landed on his shoulder. What he saw, surprised him, and turned his expression softer. Breathing evenly, with eyes closed, Sephiroth was leaning on Genesis's shoulder, his left hand gently gripping onto the other's shirt.

"Well…" The redheaded SOLDIER remarked, "I didn't expect Loveless was so boring to you." The words held no malice, rather, they were softly uttered, in a way one would usually speak to a lover or a child. Moving slowly, he guided Sephiroth into a more comfortable position, placing the man's head in his lap, and gently holding his shoulders. "Rest now, my friend." He added with a quiet whisper, unable to prevent himself from gently stroking a few locks of silver hair from the man's face. "I will protect you."

* * *

Waking the next morning was strange for the two. Emerald, in a place that she had no recollection of journeying to, and Sephiroth, in the arms of another.

When the first rays of the early morning sun gently lightened the room, Emerald had woken and blinked in confusion. The sun was barely above the plate, but the room was eiirly bright. It took her only a short while to notice the chocobo nightlight, and she smiled softly, realizing that Sephiroth had placed her in 'her' room.

Rising, she made her way to the extravagant bathroom that she now lay claim to, and began to prepare for the day. When she was ready, she left the room, intent on moving to complete her morning duties. Sephiroth's absence didn't bother her, as she knew he often had to rise earlier than her, in order to get to work.

For Sephiroth, however, waking was not quite so normal.

He began to rise as his body clock told him that morning had come. Felling warmer than he should in his room, he furrowed his brow slightly, not quite awake enough to bother opening his eyes to figure out what it was that was causing him to be so warm and… comfortable. It was only when he became aware of the weight on his chest, and along one of his legs did he open his eyes. When the weight moved, ever so slightly, he became fully aware, looking down to assess the threat.

His eyes grew wide when he realized what exactly the weight was.

Genesis was curled on his side, his head on Sephiroth's chest, directly above his heart. Thin but strong arms were lightly holding onto his waist and chest and legs were intertwined with his own. Blinking a few times, Sephiroth had to wonder if his sanity was intact, or if he'd managed to go crazy at some point during the night. "Uh…"

Having never been in a situation such as this, Sephiroth didn't quite know how to respond to this, and at his slight utterance of confusion, Genesis reacted, nuzzling softly into the crook of Sephiroth's neck, and sighing contently. This only made the situation more confusing.

"G-Genesis…" Sephiroth stuttered, his arms raising from their position around Genesis's waist (when had they got there!?), to take his shoulders and gently shake him. The other First woke instantly, his eyes snapping open and his body freezing.

"Sephiroth?" Genesis asked, a little confused himself, before his memory returned. Pulling away from the other, he sat up, looking away to hide his slight blush. "You fell asleep on me." He explained, "And you looked so tired, I didn't want to wake you… Guess I like to snuggle in my sleep." Untangling his limbs from Sephiroth's he finally looked at the other and offered a small sheepish smile. "Sorry."

Keeping his cool, Sephiroth just nodded once, swinging his legs over the side of the bunk. After a moment, he turned to Genesis, realizing that the other was embarrassed. Not wanting the awkwardness to remain, he made a remark.

"Am I a comfortable pillow?"

Catching on to the chance for normalcy, Genesis smirked, "Oh, the best." He answered, traces of sarcasm in his voice. "You're all fluffy and squishy, not like that thing," He gestured to the overly stuffed pillow he'd been given for his stay in quarantine. It was obvious that the pillow was more than a little 'squishy'.

"Hmm, I was thinking more along the lines of 'warm and comforting', perhaps I need to train more to remove some of this… squishyness that you speak of." The challenge was there. He may not have said it so bluntly, but the words translated themselves in Genesis's head.

_Are you calling me fat?_

The thought that even Sephiroth could become self conscious caused Genesis to smirk a little and shake his head. "You are fine, just the way you are." He told him, "If you were to train too much more, then I would loose my favourite pillow."

"Enough with the pillow talk." Sephiroth said, a soft smile on his face. His eyes met Genesis's in a teasing manner, and it was then that Genesis realized that Sephiroth had attempted to make a joke.

Suddenly, he felt like hugging the man proudly.

Instead, he just smiled at the other, reaching forward slightly to gently brush a few strands of hair from Sephiroth's face. The startled look that the other gave him caused him to realize what he had done, and he took a hasty step backwards. "Well…" He said, a little uncomfortably. "You may wish to get cleaned up for the day before you head off to work, hmm?"

After a second, Sephiroth nodded, seemingly dazed. Leaving the room slowly, he found himself looking at the strands of hair that Genesis had moved.

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Dreams of the Morrow ---___--- ---___---- ---___---

---___--- ---___--- ---___--- Chapter End ---___--- ---___--- ---___---

A/N: Phew, finally, it's finished. Again – this is going to take a while to get finished, but at least I'm finally getting to the romance.

Please review. I know it's sad to be asking for that – but I would like some critique. Tell me how I can improve, what I've done wrong etc.

Oh – and there's a little survey I'm running. What other pairings would you like me to put in?

I've had a request for Zack/Cloud, so I'm thinking of putting that in there – but I also like to have Reno in – who should I put him with. Remember that these pairings will only be in passing, not too detailed.


	8. Where the Wind May Blow

Okay, I know it's been a while since I updated, and I am so sorry for that. My computer broke, then real life got in the way, then I got depression and stopped writing. But now, I'm back baby.

You guys are gonna hate me, but this was finished around September... last year. I just never got around to uploading it after my computer died. I'm just so glad my HDD was salvageable. –phew-

Anyway, as always, reviews are muchly appreciated, especially if you can be like the first ever reviewer on this story. Seriously, check that review out. That person is amazingly helpful.

I'm also in the middle of re-hashing the older chapters, so if you get an update alert, it could be that too. But don't worry, I'm still writing the later chapters.

As always, I'm looking for a beta reader who can put up with me. I'm not the most constant of authors and I get a bit distracted from time to time... Anyone who wants to volunteer is welcome, but I do have quite high standards. You need to be honest for one thing. If a chapter is **** then tell me...

Anyway, on with the story. Enjoy and review...

-_- -_- -_- Dreams of the Morrow -_- -_- -_-

-_- -_- -_- Chapter 7 – Where the Wind May Blow -_- -_- -_-

_All that awaits you is a sombre morrow,_

_No matter where the wind may blow_

Cold. That was the only thing that was circling Emerald's mind as she pulled her arms tighter around herself in the vein hope of keeping some of the bodily warmth that was quickly failing her. Snow pelted the ground, gathering in white mounds around her, closing in on her in their suffocating damp sheets. She could see nobody around, but that wasn't much of a surprise, since she couldn't see _anything_ but the white that was steadily rising on the ground and falling from the sky.

'_Just__keep__moving.__'_ She ordered herself, shivering as she continued to trek in a single direction, wandering with not the hopes of getting somewhere, but rather keeping warm. If she kept one foot landing before the other, continued a perpetual movement, she could keep her blood circling – she could keep alive.

Her mission hadn't gone well. She'd been assigned to watch over some medical transfers to Icicle Inn and make sure that the doctors and nurses had settled in well. One of the chocobos that had been carting things had got separated from the pack, wondering off in a random direction. The snow was already falling when someone had to go after him.

Having a deep fondness for the giant birds, Emerald had volunteered to go after the black steed, reassuring everyone that she would be fine, and that it was only lightly snowing. With promises to be back within the hour, she set off, pulling her gloves tighter around her hands.

That had been nearly four hours ago. Now, she was cursing whoever it was that had designed the SOLDIER uniform, and made a mental note to petition a change when she got back.

If she got back.

After a few more miles of walking, she had all but forgotten her original purpose. The bite of the frosty air had caused her hair to freeze in place, her body chilling to low temperatures. She was sure that if it hadn't been for the mako in her system, her blood would have frozen by now.

What had started out as a small snowfall had developed into a full on storm, and still, there was no sign of the bird she had originally been out to find. She wasn't holding much hope of finding it now, and at that point, the hope of surviving was starting to dwindle.

'_Just.__Keep.__Moving.__'_ The mantra she had kept up for the last few hours was beginning to fail her as her limbs did. Each step was fractionally more shaky than the last, her knees coming ever closer to collapsing on her.

Was this really going to be the end? After everything that she had been through, everything she still had to do, was she really going to die here? In the middle of nowhere, with no hope of her body being found, and no way to tell her family what had happened, to apologize for failing them…

"What should I do…?" The whispers that fell from her blue lips met nobody's ears, falling upon the silent snow. "I'm sorry…" She managed to say before falling down, her eyes closing as her consciousness finally gave way, the numbing cold seeping even further into her.

"Sir!" A young infantryman ran towards Sephiroth, finding him in the corridor that lead to the isolation wing. He was panting, obviously having run a long way and as he reached the General, he collapsed in front of him. "Sir." He gasped, trying to get both words out and air in. "Th-there's b-been a d-devel-development o-on Lieutenant Emerald's case, sir." It seemed that he was breathing a little easier now, his face slowly returning to a normal colour, loosing that bright red that had come with the exhersion.

"What news?" The fact that the infantryman had been sent, literally running to find him, caused some concern to Sephiroth. Had Emerald been injured? Had something happened to her?

"Sir, it says she went to look for a chocobo that got loose." Picking himself off the floor, the infantryman gave a shaky salute, jumping slightly as Sephiroth gently took his arm and lead him to a chair. It was company policy that any place that required significant waiting time be supplied with chairs. The isolation wing was no exception.

Sitting, the infantryman looked up at Sephiroth, his bright blue eyes shining with fear, but the general couldn't be sure if that was directed at him, or what he was saying.

"Sir, the storm picked up. She's been out in a blizzard for two hours. She was the only SOLDIER to go – nobody else can survive out there to find her. The medical personnel are snowed in, and they want back up. I was told to bring you the news, and tell you that the Turks are waiting with a helicopter on pad A."

Somehow managing to keep his cool, Sephiroth nodded once and looked at the young man. "Thank you, corporal. When did you get this news?"

"Oh-nine-hundred sir."

Less than twenty minutes. That was impressive. Dispite the fear and uncertainty that was now plaguing Sephiroth's mind, he knew that this man had done his duty well. "What is your name?" He asked, wanting to keep an eye out for the same man. If he continued his work as he was going, it was likely that he could go far – however, it was entirely likely that his efforts were going unnoticed, and Sephiroth couldn't stand for that.

"Strife. Cloud Strife, sir." Standing now, Cloud nodded and then saluted before shakily gesturing to the corridor. "The helicopter is waiting for you sir. Is there something in particular you were wanting to tell Commander Rhapsodos? I can take a message, if you would like."

Shaking his head, Sephiroth headed towards the waiting helipad. "No need, all will be explained." And with that, Sephiroth picked up his speed, practically running to the awaiting Turk.

Even now, he couldn't let his guard down. A cool exterior had to be presented at all times, controlled and serious. Benieth it all, fear was bubbling. No. Not fear. He wasn't just afraid – he was terrified.

It had barely been three days since Emerald's confession of familiar ties to Sephiroth, and there was so much more that he needed to understand, so much more he wanted to know about her. And not only that, but somehow, she had managed to worm her way into his life, and he was better for it. He was beginning to care for Emerald.

And now she was in danger.

A gentle warmth that could only be described as comforting enveloped the frozen body, spreading its care over the chilled flesh like hands would stroke the skin of a loved one. Soft caresses surrounded the unconscious youth, holding a hint of familiarity in their touch.

Silver-green eyes slowly opened to see nothing but white. It wasn't the white of snow, but rather a purity that was so complete, it showed as nothing but a homely white. The faint smell of lilies was in the air, mixed with the scent of clean, fresh water.

Those eyes closed, a soft smile playing at the lips of their owner. "Have I died?" The soft utterance held no pain, no fear, only a calm acceptance.

"No silly." A soft chuckle accompanied those words, and Emerald opened her eyes again, knowing not to turn around, but taking comfort in the feeling of warmth pressed against her back, and in the sense that she wasn't alone. "You're too important to die here." The melody of spoken words continued, reassuring the young woman while speaking to her as one would a friend.

"Even you cannot stop what must eventually happen." Again, there was no pain in those words.

She could feel the figure behind her shaking their head, and the sound of a soft sigh permeated the area. "Dilly-dally shilly-shally. Why must you take after Cloud in that too?" The warm pressure of a hand found its way onto Emerald's arm. "You're important to the world. But you're also important to _him_. If anybody can prevent Judgement Day, it is you. You are our last hope – but you're not alone. You're never alone."

And then, even knowing better, Emerald turned, her silver-green eyes meeting the kind bright green of the flower girl who stood before her. Before she disappeared completely, she was able to give Emerald a small smile.

Feeling her eyes go heavy, Emerald allowed herself to relax and drift once more into an unconscious slumber.

The helicopter ride was the hardest that Sephiroth had ever had to endure. The ride itself was perfectly comfortable, the Turk at the controls obviously knowing what he was doing – but the atmosphere was tense. It was only Sephiroth and the redheaded pilot within the metal confines, and the silence was heavy.

"Don't worry," The Turk finally spoke, about half way through their journey. "We'll find her." His words were quiet but determined. Thanks to the headset that both parties wore, the words were effectively communicated, despite their lack of volume.

Sephiroth nodded, standing and moving from his seat in the rear to be beside the pilot. "You've flown me before?" He asked, recognising the pilot, "Reno, am I correct?"

The other nodded, casually leaning back in his seat. "Yeah. And you got nothin' to worry about. I'm the best damn pilot you got."

Deciding that it would _not_ be a good idea to point out the grammatical errors in the man's speech, Sephiroth just nodded. He knew he didn't need an introduction – he never did, and he really didn't have anything more to say.

Just over two hours after Sephiroth had got the news of Emerald's disappearance, the helicopter flew over Icicle Inn. "The report says that she moved North, through the valley." The order was given to the pilot, who simply nodded and lowered the chopper slightly.

"Can't get much lower than this." He told him, "Your enhancements enough to see through this weather?"

Reno himself could barely see the mountains they were flying between, let alone the white ground beneath. Luckily, the wind had died down somewhat, or they may have been in trouble. Flying in this weather would be hazardous for most, but for Reno, it was more like an everyday chore.

"It is difficult…" Sephiroth said, squinting slightly as he leaned closer to his window, "But I believe that I will be able to sense her mako…"

Nodding, Reno sat up a little, concentrating on keeping them aloft. "Well, we don't have enough fuel to get back to the city. We can set down south of Icicle Inn at a place known as "Bone Village"."

Keeping his eyes on the ground, Sephiroth just nodded, "How long until we have to move to the village?" He asked, extending his senses as far as he could.

"About twenty minutes. I don't think she'd last much longer than that anyway…" The words were sad, but true. Nobody, not even a mako enhanced SOLDIER could survive in a storm like this for that long. It would be a miracle if she'd lived this long.

"We'll find her." Sephiroth decided not to ask how they'd get her inside the aircraft. The small vehicle was struggling to stay at the height that it currently was. Reno seemed to be having a problem keeping it low, the winds pushing it this way and that. It was a credit to Reno's skills that the chopper hadn't stalled yet.

Extending his senses even further, Sephiroth closed his eyes, beginning to feel dizzy as he used more strength than he was used to in an effort to feel _anything_ that could help them locate their missing comrade.

"There!" Without opening his eyes, Sephiroth pointed and felt a movement below him as Reno followed his command. As soon as they were close enough to the traces of Mako he felt, Sephiroth opened his eyes and moved to the back of the chopper. "Hover here. Get as low as you can and I'll bring her in." Then, he jumped.

"Emerald!"

What was that? It seemed so far away.

"Emerald!" It came again, pulling at strings of familiarity in her mind as she tried to recall where she'd heard that word before. And that voice, it was… She knew that voice, that word. But what did it mean?

"Gods, Emerald…" A rough pressure could be felt, pressing her against something warm, something soft. It was all over her, covering her body as things were pulled off her. Her shivers became worse as a gust of cool air hit her. Instantly, she tried to curl against the warm thing that was holding her.

"She moved!" Another voice – again, it was familiar. This one always reminded her of warmth, of safety and of mischief. Family.

"Emerald… You're freezing." The first voice again. It was really starting to disturb her slumber. She should be able to sleep right, she'd done …something… to deserve that. "I need you to open your eyes for me…" The gentle voice was prodding at her consciousness as she was held tighter.

"C'mon, kid." That second, homely voice said softly, "Open those big, green eyes of yours."

"R…Reno…" That was who the voice belonged to! Blinking her eyes open, she looked around dazedly, ignoring the expanse of chest she was pressed against, not noticing the silver hair that was flowing around her. All she saw was the concerned green eyes of a redheaded friend of hers. A weak smile found its way on her face as she felt her eyes close again.

"Don't worry, kid." Reno added quietly, gently stroking her hair, "We'll get you home…"

"Back…home…" Keeping awake was a chore right now, all she wanted to do was sleep, but unless Reno shut up, that would be impossible. "S-Seventh H-Heaven?"

"Sorry kid, we're getting you back to Midgar…" The tones were apologetic, but she nodded once, knowing that Reno would keep her safe.

"'Kay…"

And with that, darkness fell.

It was bright. Obnoxiously so. The sun was high in the sky, filtering directly through the windows and onto her face, causing Emerald to wrinkle her brow slightly as she tried to hold on to her slumbering state. After a short while, it became apparent that sleep was going to continue to evade her.

Grumbling a little under her breath, she opened her eyes, looking around in bewilderment. Where was she? How had she gotten there?

"Ah, you're awake." Her vision was filled with the concerned face of one General Sephiroth. He pulled back when she started to move, helping her into a sitting position.

"What happened?" She asked, still confused. Her mind didn't seem to want to give her answers.

Sephiroth pulled back slightly and sat down on a chair that had been left by the bed. Since she was in a seated position now, she was able to look around a little more thoroughly. The room was incredibly white, the walls, the furniture, the floor – everything was white. It hurt her eyes to look at anything for too long, so she focused back on Sephiroth. "Which infirmary are we in…?" It didn't look like the one within Midgar, it was too bright for that. The city was permanently covered in a layer or two of smog, diluting even the brightest of days.

"We are in Costa De Sol. The helicopter ran out of fuel upon approach to Bone Village. One of the workers offered a ride here. The medical centre is much better than the one in Midgar."

Nodding once, Emerald relaxed against the bed and pulled the blankets closer. She was still feeling cold. "Did you find the chocobo?" She asked quietly, knowing what the answer must be, but needing to be sure. After a single head shake from Sephiroth, she sighed and nodded.

"Yo!" A cheerful voice came from the door, directing both gazes of the SOLDIER's within the room. Reno was stood, leaning against the door, a smirk on his face. "Least you kept your clothes on this time." He said in way of greeting, wakling into the room.

Emerald groaned softly and shook her head, "You'll never let me live that down, huh? I was what fiv- Wait!" Her eyes became wide and she stared at Reno, he cold fogged brain finally catching up with her. "How could you possibly know that!"

"A gift," Reno began, moving to sit on the bed beside Emerald, "From a mutual friend." His hand was placed on her forehead, a concerned look in his eyes. "How're you feelin', Baby Spike?"

Her mouth was working, but no words were coming. Reno knew! Reno knew about her past, about the future that she was out to prevent!

"I feel quite as if I've missed something." Sephiroth remarked, reminding them both of his presence.

Reno jumped back, as if he'd been burned and smiled sheepishly. "Woops." He mumbled. "Well, I'll talk to ya later, Em."

Nodding, her mind not quite as nimble as usual, Emerald just watched Reno leave. "How long have I been out?" She asked Sephiroth softly, her hand raising to press against her head. She still felt a little chilled, but the snowstorm was a distant memory now.

"Almost two days." Sephiroth's words were quiet, and he was staring at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. "You almost died. The Chocobo was not worth that risk. You must learn to take note of a situation and protect yourself. Your priorities need sorting out, and until you can prove to me that you are no longer a danger to yourself, you are suspended from missions away from Midgar." His words were harsh, but his tone was carefully neutral.

Emerald frowned for a moment, looking at Sephiroth, her sluggish mind finally catching up with her. "You're _grounding_ me?" She asked, smirking in disbelief. "Look, Sephiroth, I was stupid going out on my own, but you can _not_tell me that a Chocobo isn't worth shit. A life is a life. It's all the same. Every life is a part of the whole – the lifestream is in all of us, weather it be you, me, or a chocobo. That bird had done nothing wrong, she'd committed even less sin than I. She deserved to live, and if there was even the slightest chance that I could save her, I had to try." She looked at Sephiroth as she spoke, talking to him as a fellow person rather than a superior. "If that had been a child, would you not have done the same?"

"Emerald, it was a _bird_." It seemed that the silver General didn't understand Emerald's plight. "Your life is worth more than that of an animal." He stood then, looking down at the young woman. "Until you can see that, you will remain close to me. You will be protected, regardless of your views on the matter."

And with that, Sephiroth left, Emerald upon her bed as she tried to figure out what exactly she had done to piss the General off.

"I think he's angry."

"Do you always listen in on conversations that are not your own?" Emerald asked, turning her amused gaze to the redhead at the door. The man shrugged, his attention on a small ball that he was gently tossing into the air and swiftly catching.

Slowly, the male walked into the room and threw the silver ball at Emerald. "Familiar?" He asked as she caught it and gazed down at it.

The ball was small, made from a glass-like substance and shining even more brightly than the day around them. Silver green eyes widened as the youth looked upon the warm ball within her grasp. "It's…." She raised her eyes to look at Reno. "This… this is how you remember me?" She asked, her hand tightening around the globe.

"Yep. Pretty powerful piece of equipment you got there. It was in the church. Tseng found it when he was following the ancient. As soon as he touched it, he remembered." He nodded, looking at Emerald, "You got the Turks on your side now, Baby Spike. You'll be safe no matter where you are."

The ball landed on the floor, rolling a few feet along the white carpeted ground. The hand that had been holding it lay limp and open, trembling as the owner shook. "I can't…" She whispered, raising her head to look at her friend. "I can't do it." Her whole body was shaking now. "I –" tears began to fall, her voice hitching as she lowered her head and raised her knees, curling in on herself. "I can't."

"Baby Spike…" Reno spoke quietly, moving to stand by her side, pausing only to retrieve the materia. He sat beside her on the bed and looked at her. "He's different, isn't he?" He asked quietly, "You got to know him, saw him human… but he's not." Looking down at the materia in his hand, he raised it to the light. "You remember how this was made?" He asked, "The ancient, and Cloud… Tseng, Rufus and the others… You know what they did for you, so that you could do what you had to…"

Tear filled eyes rose to look at the Turk. "I know… But I can't…"

"Remember what the world's like. The pain, the suffering… Can't you remember that? How about the colour of the sky? The ground? What about your friends, everything they've gone through…" He shook his head, "I'm not sayin' that you gotta stick with the original plan, but if you don't do _something_, then what was the point in everything?" He looked at the young girl and sighed, shaking his head, "I _knew_ you were too young for this…"

"No." Emerald looked up, wiping her eyes with shaking hands. "You're right. I gotta do something. But _he__'__s_ not the problem."

Her mind was working again, her thoughts weaving into intricate patterns that only she knew the direction of. A plan was forming.

-_- -_- -_- Dreams of the Morrow -_- -_- -_-

-_- -_- -_- Chapter End -_- -_- -_-

Again, massively sorry about the huge delay. But the next chapter is just about half done...

Should be up soon. I hope...


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